It cited the fish did not meet safety standards, as they were polluted with potentially harmful chemicals, including “veterinary drug residues and unsafe additives” ( 11). Tilapia may be polluted with harmful chemicalsĪnother article reported that the FDA rejected over 800 shipments of seafood from China from 2007 –2012, including 187 shipments of tilapia. However, around 73% of the tilapia imported to the United States comes from China, where this practice is particularly common ( 12). Using animal feces as feed wasn’t directly associated with any specific fish in the report. One report from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revealed that it is common for fish farmed in China to be fed feces from livestock animals ( 11).Īlthough this practice drives down production costs, bacteria like Salmonella found in animal waste can contaminate the water and increase the risk of foodborne diseases. However, several reports over the past decade have revealed some concerning details about tilapia farming practices, especially from farms located in China. Reports of farming practices are concerningĪs consumer demand for tilapia continues to grow, tilapia farming offers a cost-effective method of producing a relatively inexpensive product for the consumer. Its omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is higher than other fish and may contribute to inflammation in the body. Tilapia contains much less omega-3 than other fish like salmon. In fact, several experts caution against consuming tilapia if you are trying to lower your risk of inflammatory diseases like heart disease ( 10). Consuming fish high in omega-3 like salmon will more easily help you meet this target, while tilapia does not offer much help ( 9). The recommended ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in the diet is typically as close to 1:1 as possible. Some people even believe omega-6 fatty acids can be harmful and increase inflammation if eaten in excess ( 8). Omega-6 fatty acids are highly controversial but generally regarded as less healthy than omega-3s. If that wasn’t bad enough, tilapia contains more omega-6 fatty acids than it does omega-3. The bad news for tilapia is that it only contains 240 mg of omega-3 fatty acids per serving - ten times less omega-3 than wild salmon ( 3). They have also been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease ( 5, 6, 7). Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats that lower inflammation and blood triglycerides. In fact, wild-caught salmon contains over 2,500 mg of omega-3s per 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving ( 4). One of the main reasons for this is that fish like salmon, trout, albacore tuna and sardines contain large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Its omega-6 to omega-3 ratio may lead to inflammationįish are almost universally considered one of the healthiest foods on the planet.
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