Does honey contain microplastics from the environment?

What's actually in it

Honey is a natural food, but it picks up microplastics from the environment. Bees collect pollen and nectar from flowers, and plastic particles floating in the air and resting on plants come along for the ride. Processing equipment, plastic storage containers, and packaging add more particles before the honey reaches your table.

What the research says

A 2026 study in NPJ Sci Food tested both industrial and specialty honey types for microplastic contamination. The researchers found microplastics in all honey samples. Industrial honey had higher particle counts than specialty or artisan varieties.

The most common plastics found were polyethylene and polypropylene, the same materials used in food packaging and plastic bottles. The particles were small enough to pass through your digestive system and potentially interact with gut cells.

To reduce microplastics from honey, choose locally sourced, minimally processed honey from beekeepers who use glass jars. Avoid honey sold in squeeze bottles made of soft plastic, which may shed more particles into the product.