Does eating fish and packaged food raise your blood PFAS levels?

What's actually in it

PFAS enter the food supply in two ways: fish accumulate them through contaminated water, and food packaging treats paper bags and containers with PFAS to make them grease-resistant. Both routes deliver PFAS directly from food into your blood.

Larger, longer-lived fish accumulate more PFAS through the food chain, the same way they accumulate mercury. Shellfish, particularly from PFAS-contaminated waters, can be high. Grease-resistant food packaging (microwave popcorn bags, fast food wrappers, some pizza boxes) adds PFAS every time you use them.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Environ Int modeled human blood PFAS concentrations from dietary consumption patterns. They found that fish consumption and packaged food use were the primary dietary drivers of elevated blood PFAS. The types of fish and packaging materials people used were directly reflected in their blood PFAS levels.

Choosing lower-PFAS fish (sardines, Pacific salmon over Atlantic farmed salmon) and avoiding grease-resistant packaging makes a measurable difference in blood PFAS.

Store and reheat food in glass food storage instead of using PFAS-treated food packaging. Never microwave in the bag for microwave popcorn or other packaged items.