The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the labeling of Chilean salmon as “healthy” – a move which aquaculture companies in the South American nation see as a significant opportunity to increase sales abroad.
The newly awarded distinction is a milestone that promises to increase Chilean farmed fish’s visibility and attractiveness in the North American market, according to the Chilean Salmon Council.
“This decision consolidates the trust of our largest market for Chilean salmon farming, which positively impacts our exports and also opens the door for us to explore new strategic international destinations,” Salmon Council Executive Director Loreto Seguel said in a statement.
On the consumer side, the label helps assure that they are purchasing high-quality fish that meets the strictest and most rigorous health, safety, and wellness standards before consumption, the council said.
The U.S. bought 235,934 metric tons (MT) of salmon and trout from Chile in 2024, valued at USD 2.58 billion (EUR 2.5 billion), according to the latest data from Chile’s National Customs Service. That represented more than 40 percent of Chile’s overall salmon exports of 782,076 MT that brought in USD 6.37 billion (EUR 6.18 billion).
Seguel said that one of the biggest challenges for the salmon-farming industry is to forge a consolidated path toward sustainability, but she also said there was a need to build an identity and national pride around salmon, which the FDA label helps to accomplish...
