Benzene is a colorless, flammable liquid with a sweet odor. It evaporates quickly when exposed to air. Benzene is formed from natural processes, such as volcanoes and forest fires, but most exposure to benzene results from human activities. Benzene is among the 20 most widely used chemicals in the United States.
Lafrenz also attributes the taste of farmed branzino to the fish meal fed they are fed. Branzino, like salmon, is a carnivorous fish. In large aquaculture operations, small fish are caught and made into feed.
Colza is extensively cultivated in France, Belgium, the United States, the Netherlands and Germany. In France, especially, the extraction of the oil is an important industry. Colza oil is extensively used as a lubricant for machinery. Colza oil was used extensively in European domestic lighting before the advent of coal (city) gas or kerosene. Colza oil was used in Gombault's Caustic Balsam, a popular horse and human liniment at the turn of the 20th century.