Does honey contain microplastics from environmental pollution?

What's actually in it

Honey is often seen as one of the purest foods. But bees forage across wide areas, visiting flowers and water sources that are contaminated with airborne microplastics. These particles end up in the hive and in the honey they produce.

Microplastics in the air settle on flowers. Bees pick them up along with pollen and nectar. The particles also get into water sources where bees drink.

What the research says

A 2026 study in NPJ Sci Food used honey as a bioindicator of microplastic pollution. They tested honey from industrial areas and agricultural areas to compare contamination levels.

Every honey sample contained microplastics. The particles were mostly fibers and fragments from common plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene.

Honey from areas near industrial activity had higher microplastic counts than honey from remote agricultural regions. But even the cleanest samples weren't microplastic-free.

The good news is that honey is eaten in small quantities. The microplastic dose per serving is low compared to what you get from water bottles or food packaging. But it shows how far plastic pollution has spread into even "natural" foods.