What's That White Stuff on Salmon and Is It Safe to Eat? (2024)

FAQs

What's That White Stuff on Salmon and Is It Safe to Eat? ›

Albumin, a protein in salmon, appears as white streaks or globs on the fish once it's cooked. It's flavorless and safe to eat. To prevent albumin from appearing, don't overcook your salmon. For more cooking tips, check out our ultimate guide to cooking salmon.

"There's nothing wrong at all with eating that albumin. It tastes completely fine, it's good for you, it's just another protein that comes out from the side of the salmon." Albumin also appears when you cook your salmon quickly.

Albumin Removal

Whether you're cooking fillets or burgers, the white stuff on salmon is very easy to remove. Before serving the salmon, you can wipe off the albumin with a napkin or kitchen towel, or scrape it off with a utensil. The albumin can then be discarded.

To check the color of the salmon, you can use a fork to gently pull apart the flesh in the thickest part of the fillet or steak. The flesh should be opaque, flaky, and moist. If it is still translucent, it needs more time to cook. If it is dry or appears white, it may be overcooked.

No, you are not supposed to wash salmon fillets before cooking them. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) advises against washing raw fish, seafood, meat, and poultry, which can spread bacteria to other foods and surfaces. The only effective way to get rid of bacteria is to cook it.

"It's the insulating fat for the fish, so it's just the fat," said Dr. John Swarztberg, head of the editorial board at the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter. "Often times for cosmetic reasons, vendors remove it, but you can eat it. It's perfectly safe to eat."

Touch your leftover cooked salmon to see if it has a slimy or mushy consistency, or if there is a white film on the meat—if any of these things are true, then your salmon has gone bad.

Raw or undercooked salmon can be contaminated with bacteria, parasites, and other disease-causing agents. For this reason, the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recommends cooking all seafood until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.

That white gunk seeping from your salmon is called albumin. It's a protein—not fat—that pushes to the surface of the fish when you heat it. "Once this protein reaches temperatures between 140 and 150 degrees, its moisture is squeezed out, and it congeals and turns white," according to America's Test Kitchen.

How do I know when salmon is done? ›

Internal temperature: Use an instant-read meat thermometer; the salmon should register 145°F (63°C) at its thickest part. Flakiness: When gently pressed with a fork, the fish should easily flake apart. Avoid overcooking, as it can dry out the salmon. Cook with the skin side down for best results.

Symptoms include fatigue, constipation, diarrhea, vague abdominal discomfort, and less commonly vomiting.

If the salmon smells fishy, sour or ammonia-like, then it's gone bad. Appearance: Fresh salmon fillets should be bright pink or orange with no discoloration, darkening or drying around the edges. If you notice any dull or gray coloring, dark spots or filmy white residue, then it's a sign that the salmon has spoiled.

My conclusion after this taste-test is that you can't go wrong with either kind, but if you tend to over-cook your fish, go for the White, and if you like a more distinct salmon flavour, go for the Red.

Tapioca disease, seen here in tiny white cysts in the flesh of a filleted salmon, is a relatively common condition found in salmon. It's neither harmful to the fish nor humans, albeit unsightly.

Use your eyes: When salmon is undercooked, it will have a dark pink and translucent appearance on the inside. Cooked thoroughly, salmon will be opaque throughout the fillet. Try a fork: A tried-and-true way of testing undercooked salmon is by taking a fork to the fillet and flaking off a bite.