In this episode of In Good Taste, I sit down with sustainable seafood pioneer Caroline Bennett to explore what’s really going on with the salmon on our plates.

We unpack why salmon became the go-to “healthy” option, what actually happens inside salmon farms, and the hidden ripple effects on fish welfare, ecosystems and global fishing communities. If you eat salmon regularly, this episode will change how you think about it.

What we cover:
• How salmon became the global default and why chefs are quietly dropping it
• Farmed vs wild salmon: Atlantic vs Pacific, and what open-net pens really are
• What really happens on salmon farms: sea lice, chemicals, antibiotics and that sludge of waste beneath the cages
• Salmon mortality: why around 25% of farmed salmon die before harvest
• The feed problem: anchovy, sardinella and the impact on West African fishing communities
• Omega-3 myths and where you’d actually get more
• Land-based, “tech fix” and GM salmon: what might change, and what doesn’t
• Labels and sustainability claims and why you need to read past the pretty lochs on the front
• If you still want to eat salmon: what “less bad” looks like and why diversifying the fish we eat matters

I’m Mallika Basu, food writer, speaker and adviser, on a mission to make food matters accessible and joyful. My new book, In Good Taste: What Shapes What We Eat and Drink – and Why It Matters, is available to pre-order now.

Say hello / pitch ideas: ingoodtastepod@gmail.com