About the author: Judy Blatman is OmegaQuant’s consumer health writer. Her blogs tee-up practical suggestions for health, with an emphasis on omega-3s and omega-3 testing, so readers can decide their own path to good health. Prior to her work with OmegaQuant, she had an extensive public relations career, representing dog food, coffee and OTC anti-itch medication, luxury resorts, liquor, and more. Judy’s knowledge about dietary supplements developed during her 16 years spearheading communications for Council for Responsible Nutrition, where she led an award-winning healthy lifestyle consumer education initiative focused on diet, dietary supplements and exercise. Starting her own communications firm during COVID led her back to one of her original career aspirations—writing. She is fond of collecting handbags, playing with other people’s dogs, and binge-watching the latest comedies, dramas and thrillers. Learn more.
Fish, Microplastics & Omega-3s: Separating Fact from Fear Unless you never go online, read a newspaper or watch a television news report, you probably are aware of news stories and media reports that warn microplastics are looking for ways to mess up your health. And they’re hiding everywhere—from your bottled water to your non-stick pans, your plastic leftover containers, just waiting to seep into your body through your food. Microplastics are also in some of your healthiest foods, like fruits and vegetables, seafood and fish, even teabags. What about unhealthier food options like ultra-processed foods? Yup, microplastics. But, before you put down your fish fork and forgo your omega-3 fatty acids, we’re here to tell you that the reality of microplastics and your health is more nuanced than some headlines would lead you to believe. In today’s blog, we’ll go through the risk/reward situation regarding fish, omega-3s and microplastics so you can better protect yourself and your family from microplastics while still maintaining the benefits from omega-3s in fatty fish. VIDEO: Why Your Surgeon is Wrong About Omega-3 Are Microplastics Harmful to Human Health? The answer is not simple. Microplastics (MPs), those tiny to small particles that range in size from one micrometer to five millimeters (the size of the pencil erasers that you might chew on—stop that!) might be harmful to human health, but maybe not as concerning as some headlines suggest? Nanoplastics (NPs), a subcategory of MPs, are even smaller (less than a micrometer) and visible only under a super-duper powerful microscope. NPs are considered sneakier and perhaps more dangerous to our health. Microplastics are ubiquitous, with public concern possibly flamed by scary media coverage about the potential detrimental effects that microplastics may have on our health. To date, a relatively small number of studies have directly addressed the impact of MPs on human health, including from the food supply. However, research in animals and human cells suggest a link to cancer, heart attacks and reproductive concerns among the potential findings, says this article. Plastics have been around since the early 1900s, and production exploded in the 1950s. The term “microplastics” was introduced some 50 years later, yet the research on their impact on human health is considered in its infancy, although expected to grow more rapidly. Kara Meister, M.D., advises here that “probably within the next year or two, we’ll have a couple more big landmark papers.” VIDEO: Why You Need Higher Doses of Omega-3 than You Think Do Fish Really Contain Microplastics? Yes, they do. But they’re not alone. Here are some of the other foods and drinks that also contain microplastics: ice cream, chewing gum, rice, cheese, chicken nuggets, top sirloin steak, pork loin chop, chicken breast, most salt and other seasonings, milk, plastic bottled water, tap water, and beer. It’s a long list—and those are just some of the food and drink in our food supply that have been mentioned as containing MPs. Nearly ninety percent of animal and vegetable protein samples tested positive for microplastics, according to this study. Where do the microplastics found in fish and seafood come from? The main culprit is plastic, the most prevalent type of marine debris found in the ocean, not only in plastic bags, but also in plastic pellets known as nurdles. This study shares these stats: in 2010, approximately 2.5 billion tons of solid waste was produced worldwide and of that number, an estimated 275 million tons of plastic waste found their way into the oceans which became home for somewhere between 4.8 Megatonnes (Mt) and 12.7 Mt of this plastic waste. (A Mega-tonne equals a million metric tonnes.) Fish up and down the food chain ingest these microplastics. But how much concern does that really warrant? VIDEO: Why Your Daily Omega-3 Isn’t Working (And What You Actually Need) Should You Stop Eating Seafood Because of Microplastics? There’s no need to stop eating seafood, according to experts who say the current science doesn’t support that. For example, this 2025 safety review on seafood and microplastics says that seafood remains a safe, healthy, nutrient-rich food. What’s more, the review says that exposure to MPs from seafood and other foods is far lower than exposure from indoor air. According to FDA, the government agency charged with regulating the food (and medical) industries and protecting public health, “Current scientific evidence does not demonstrate that levels of microplastics or nanoplastics detected in foods pose a risk to human health.” Further, the agency advises it continues to monitor the research on microplastics and nanoplastics in food and can take regulatory action to protect the public should it become necessary. Similarly, the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) current position on microplastics (and nanoplastics) in food finds the knowledge to date concerning the levels of dietary exposure to micro- and nanoplastics and their potential effects on human health “limited.” EFSA will finalize its scientific advice on the topic by the end of 2027. VIDEO: Rethinking Fish Advisories: Are FDA Guidelines Holding Kids Back? What are the Opinions of Environmental Protection Organizations? Limiting your fish intake won’t solve the problem [of microplastics] for you or the fish, says the Environment America Research & Policy Center, as microplastics are deeply embedded in other foods and even in our drinking water. Instead, the organization suggests focusing on a long-term strategy centered on reducing the amount of microplastics polluting the environment, in this case the ocean. In response to a 2024 study posted on this blog that found MPs and anthropogenic particles (APs) in 180 of the 182 seafood samples—Chinook salmon (with the lowest concentrations of particles) and pink shrimp (with the highest), Elise Granek, the lead study author, said that the findings should not necessarily disincentivize people to eat seafood, but rather “promote research of effective solutions to reduce the amount of microplastics entering marine ecosystems. “What we put out into the environment,” she said, “ends up back on our plates.” This blog post on Ocean Conservancy posed this question: I eat fish; am I eating microplastics? The answer: “Our study suggests yes, but not many.” Reminding us that “plastic is everywhere,” the co-authors advised that before raising alarm bells and cutting fish out of your diet, “keep in mind the levels [of microplastic] we found [in fish] were low relative to other sources of microplastics we may be exposed to.” They further urged us “to reduce our plastic waste, reuse as much as possible and recycle when we can.” VIDEO: Omega-3 and Inflammation Which Seafood Choices May Offer Lower Exposure to Microplastics? Seafood is a broad term that includes all edible fish and shellfish. MP contamination is found whether the fish live in freshwater (e.g., rivers and lakes) or saltwater (e.g., oceans and seas) environments or an aquaculture system (e.g., farmed environment), keep in mind it is far from the highest risk for MP contamination. Still, there are ways to minimize your exposure to be sure you are still getting the health benefits from eating seafood. Here’s what you need to know: the size of the seafood may matter as does the location of where the MP particles tend to reside. This blog found something that seemed counter intuitive: although larger fish hold a higher number of MPs overall, it’s the smallest fish that contain more MPs per gram of tissue. And keep in mind compared to other sources of MP exposure, seafood and other food is relatively low risk. Salmon, the richest source of omega-3 fatty acid EPA and DHA, is considered a medium-sized fish, if you’re eating Atlantic or Coho salmon, which average 8 to 12 pounds. (Pink salmon is the smallest of the species, and Chinook Salmon can be upwards of 30 to 50 pounds.) From Gut to Gills The microplastic particles mostly accumulate in the digestive system of fish, then the gills; so, you can lower your risk of exposure to MPs by eating seafood—such as a salmon—where the gut (esophagus, stomach, and intestines) and gills have been removed—something fisherman usually do soon after the fish are caught. Finfish (like salmon, cod, tuna and halibut) are generally lower risk when eaten as fillets compared to consuming mussels, oysters, clams (as shellfish examples) as bivalves and others are filter feeders that process huge volumes of water, potentially pulling in microplastic contaminants. Further, eating shellfish and small whole fish where you actually eat the digestive tract may pose a higher risk. Read here. Food preparation and cooking methods play a risk reduction role too, but don’t completely remove your MP exposure risk. Properly clean and gut your fish, rinse thoroughly in filtered water before cooking, avoid non-stick pans with plastic coating and wrapping fish in plastic before cooking. More tips here (pg. 9) and here. VIDEO: Oxidized Fish Oil: Are You Paying for Poison? What About Fish Oil Supplements? Yes, fish oil supplements contain microplastics. This 2024 study claims the research on the presence of MPs in functional foods has been limited. The authors pointed out that their results “demonstrate no significant difference in MP levels between plant- and animal-based sources.” Further, the authors concluded that the MP contamination “primarily results from the encapsulation process rather than the source of raw material.” The GOED Monograph, the omega-3 industry’s standard of quality for EPA and DHA fish oil since 2002, has been lauded for incorporating the strictest quality standards from regulations around the world to ensure that omega-3 oils are safe and high quality for consumers. The GOED Monograph does not address MPs in fish oil. However, in 2018, GOED issued a Technical Guidance Advisory related to omega-3 EPA and DHA and MPs and nanoplastic particle contamination. According to this article, GOED states that “the filtration and centrifugation processes applied during omega-3 oil processing prevent these particles from entering the oils.” How Can You Get the Benefits of Omega-3s While Making Informed Choices? Learn the facts and keep abreast of the science on microplastics as it continues to grow. Understand where you are most vulnerable, as MPs are everywhere. Here’s one more article on how to reduce your risks for MPs, specifically when it comes to food and your kitchen.Key Points:
