What could unite such fierce competitors as Bristol Farms, Costco, Safeway, Albertsons, Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe's? A group of fish-eating consumers who want to know whether the salmon in the stores' display cases is wild or farmed.

The grocery giants have formed an unlikely alliance to fight a legal bid by 11 consumers who contend that California markets have failed to clearly distinguish salmon caught in the wild from its farm-raised cousin, which is injected with red dye to appear more palatable. It's a claim grocers deny.

"I'm very concerned about what I put into my body," said Jennifer Kanter, a 32-year-old Venice sales professional who is one of those who filed the lawsuit.

Though federal and state laws require suppliers to clearly label salmon containing dye, officials from the Food and Drug Administration and the California Department of Public Health acknowledge that because of limited resources, they don't actively enforce the rule. The consumers contend they should be able to sue the markets to ensure better labeling of salmon when federal and state regulators fail to do so.

The California Supreme Court has scheduled arguments for next week.

Salmon is big business. It is a food recommended by the American Heart Assn., and consumption of it has quintupled in 16 years. Much of the demand is met by the farm-raised variety.

Critics say salmon farming poses environmental and health concerns. The fish are raised in nets in bays and inlets; excess fish meal and waste from the fish cause pollution. The meal, which is used to fatten the salmon, contains small amounts of dioxin and other harmful chemicals, according to a study cited by the plaintiffs. The fish waste harms the ocean's ecosystem, scientists say.

In a study last year, a consumer advocacy group tested salmon advertised as wild in markets in the Northeast and found that about half contained dye without labels disclosing the fact.

"People were paying a premium for wild salmon, and we're not getting it," said Nancy Metcalf, author of the survey for Consumers Union.

No such studies have been done in California, she said.

Kanter grew up in Seattle, where she fished for salmon. It wasn't until she moved to Los Angeles five years ago that she learned that some of the fish in markets was actually farm-raised.

Full Story: http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-me-salmon30nov30,1,5432792.story