Your Honey Is Contaminated With Plasticizers

Honey is supposed to be one of the purest foods on the planet. But a new study found plasticizers and bisphenols inside it.

From Environment to Hive to Your Table

A 2026 study in Foods tested Algerian honey samples and detected plasticizers and bisphenol compounds in the products. The contamination traces back from the environment, through the hive, and into the jar you buy at the store.

Bees collect nectar from flowers, water from puddles, and resin from trees. If those sources are contaminated with plastic chemicals (and they are), the honey absorbs them. Add in plastic beekeeping equipment and plastic storage containers, and you've got multiple pathways for contamination.

Why Bisphenols in Honey Matters

Bisphenols are endocrine disruptors that mimic estrogen in the body. Even tiny amounts can mess with hormones. People use honey as a "healthy" sweetener, often giving it to kids. If the honey itself is laced with hormone-disrupting chemicals, that health benefit disappears fast.

What You Can Do

Buy honey from beekeepers who use minimal plastic equipment. Look for raw, unprocessed honey in glass jars. Avoid honey sold in plastic squeeze bottles. And consider where the honey is sourced, since bees near agricultural or industrial areas pick up more contamination. Check out non-toxic kitchen alternatives for cleaner food storage options.

Also see glass food containers for safer alternatives.

Source: Litrenta et al. (2026). Foods.