Research highlights nutrient loss in salmon and pollution risks of paper straws

A USDA-led study published in Frontiers in Nutrition indicates that farmed Atlantic salmon may contain significantly lower levels of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids than previously recorded. The research found that eight sampled fillets contained 63.8% less eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 47.5% less docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) compared to older federal nutritional data. Researchers suggest this decline may stem from salmon farms substituting marine fish oils with plant-based oils in fish feed.

Separately, an assessment commissioned by South Korea’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment suggests paper straws may pose a higher pollution-related health burden than plastic alternatives. The study, conducted by the Korean Society for Life Cycle Assessment, estimated that paper straws scored 6.33 times higher than conventional plastic straws regarding cancer-related harm from pollution generated during production and disposal. While plastic straws performed better in 10 of 16 environmental categories, researchers noted the study did not measure chemical leaching or direct health outcomes for users.