Latest from Food Politics: Do salmon really get high on cocaine? And will you if you eat it?

I was riveted to come across this item. Coked-Up Salmon Go Speeding Upstream: Have you ever wondered whether the cocaine you snort ends up giving Atlantic salmon the zoomies? It turns out it does—at least to a certain extent. Welcome to the ...

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By Marion Nestle June 11 2026 Do salmon really get high on cocaine? And will you if you eat it? I was riveted to come across this item. Coked-Up Salmon Go Speeding Upstream: Have you ever wondered whether the cocaine you snort ends up giving Atlantic salmon the zoomies? It turns out it does—at least to a certain extent. Welcome to the Salmonopolis 500. No.  It never entered my mind. But now there is a study:  Cocaine pollution alters the movement and space use of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in a large natural lake [Current Biology, 36, 2018-2027.e4] Here, we combine slow-release chemical implants with acoustic telemetry tracking to reveal how environmentally realistic levels of cocaine and its main metabolite, benzoylecgonine, affect the movement of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts in a large natural lake (Lake Vättern, Sweden). Benzoylecgonine exposure increased weekly movement rates of fish in the wild, with exposed fish swimming up to ∼1.9 times farther per week relative to controls. In addition, benzoylecgonine-exposed fish dispersed up to ∼12.3 km farther than control conspecifics. Oh.  They put the cocaine into the fish.  Not a natural experiment. But here’s another study, examining drugs in the natural environment: Pharmaceutical pollution of the world’s rivers  [PNAS:119 (8) e2113947119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2113947119] Here, we present the findings of a global reconnaissance of pharmaceutical pollution in rivers. The study monitored 1,052 sampling sites along 258 rivers in 104 countries of all continents, thus representing the pharmaceutical fingerprint of 471.4 million people. We show that the presence of these contaminants in surface water poses a threat to environmental and/or human health in more than a quarter of the studied locations globally. Cocaine did not show up as a major contaminant in this study.  Tylenol does; it is #1. The contaminants with the highest concentrations were paracetamol, caffeine, metformin, fexofenadine, sulfamethoxazole (antimicrobial), metronidazole (antimicrobial), and gabapentin Comment We take a lot of Tylenol and drink a lot of coffee, explaining the two drugs most frequently found in this study.  Lots of people take metformin for type 2 diabetes.  The more drugs we take, the more we pee out, and the more gets into rivers. The investigators found huge socioeconomic inequities in drug contamination.  There were drugs everywhere they sampled, even in Antarctica, but the highest levels were in low- and middle-income countries with unregulated pharmaceutical manufacturing plants, untreated sewage, and waste dumping. Rivers with the lowest drug contamination were in remote areas with few people or those with access to modern medicine, were in places with effective wastewater treatment, or had so much flow that the drugs got diluted. I’m not worried about cocaine in salmon.  And I live in New York City which has outstanding water treatment. Otherwise?  Get a good filter. The post Do salmon really get high on cocaine? And will you if you eat it? appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle      Related Posts Weekend reading: The alcohol-free trend: it’s hot!   Now Available: What to Eat Now My new book, What to Eat Now, is officially out! It's both a field guide to food shopping in America and a reflection on how to eat well—and deliciously. For more information and to order, click here. You can explore the full archive of this (almost) daily blog at foodpolitics.com, where you'll also find information about my books, articles, media interviews, upcoming lectures, favorite resources, and FAQs. Visit the Site » ​​​​​​​ Marion Nestle Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, Emerita © Marion Nestle. You're receiving this email because you've signed up to receive updates from us. If you'd prefer not to receive updates, you can unsubscribe. Safely Unsubscribe • Archives • Preferences • Contact • Subscribe • Privacy

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Latest from Food Politics: A MAHA Win? Trix without petroleum dyes

My forthcoming (September 8) book with Lisa Sutherland, Sugar Coated: Unboxing the Hidden Forces Shaping America’s Favorite Breakfast Food, discusses Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) efforts to remove potentially harmful artificial colors from the ...

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By Marion Nestle June 10 2026 A MAHA Win? Trix without petroleum dyes My forthcoming (September 8) book with Lisa Sutherland, Sugar Coated: Unboxing the Hidden Forces Shaping America’s Favorite Breakfast Food, discusses Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) efforts to remove potentially harmful artificial colors from the food supply. I just bought the first cereal that dropped those colors and replaced them with vegetable dyes. The company did this quietly.  I had to look hard to find the green label in the upper right corner saying “colors from natural sources.”  Compare the colors of the cereal (pretty close to what it actually looks like) to the original Trix colors, still on the market. As for the cereals, both: Are ultra-processed Have artificial flavors and other chemical additives Contain 12 grams of sugars per serving Contain only 1 gram of fiber Trix without artificial colors Whole Grain Corn, Sugar, Corn Meal, Corn Syrup, Maltodextrin, Rice Flour, Canola And/Or Sunflower Oil, Salt, Color (Vegetable And Fruit Juice, Annatto Extract, Turmeric Extract And Other Color Added), Natural And Artificial Flavor, Trisodium Phosphate, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Rosemary Extract. Vitamins And Minerals Trix original, with artificial colors Whole Grain Corn, Sugar, Rice Flour, Corn Syrup, Canola and/or Sunflower Oil, Salt, Trisodium Phosphate, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 1 and Other Color Added, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Rosemary Extract. Vitamins and Minerals Comment Removing the artificial dyes is a good idea, but does not convert Trix to a health food.  Alas. The post A MAHA Win? Trix without petroleum dyes appeared first on Food Politics by Marion Nestle      Related Posts Weekend reading: The hidden cost of cheap food Announcing: Sugar Coated (September 2026) Lawsuit #3: banning food dyes in Texas   Now Available: What to Eat Now My new book, What to Eat Now, is officially out! It's both a field guide to food shopping in America and a reflection on how to eat well—and deliciously. For more information and to order, click here. You can explore the full archive of this (almost) daily blog at foodpolitics.com, where you'll also find information about my books, articles, media interviews, upcoming lectures, favorite resources, and FAQs. Visit the Site » ​​​​​​​ Marion Nestle Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, Emerita © Marion Nestle. You're receiving this email because you've signed up to receive updates from us. If you'd prefer not to receive updates, you can unsubscribe. Safely Unsubscribe • Archives • Preferences • Contact • Subscribe • Privacy

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