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From the archive: What are the hidden costs of our obsession with fish oil pills?

From the archive: What are the hidden costs of our obsession with fish oil pills?

Science Weekly vor 4 Jahren

A study found more than 1 in 10 capsules were rancid. Yet, these supplements are part of a billion-dollar industry mining one of the most productive marine ecosystems on Earth

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They may be one of the world’s favourite supplements but, according
to a study from earlier this year, more than one in 10 fish oil
capsules are rancid. Most of the oil comes from Peruvian
anchovetas, a type of anchovy that is also used to feed pigs,
poultry and farmed fish. And despite catching more than 4m tonnes a
year of anchovetas to cater to the global demand, large industry
players want to scale this up even further. In this episode from
January 2022, Madeleine Finlay speaks to environment journalist
Richa Syal about why so many fish oil pills are rancid, and hears
from journalist Dan Collyns in Chimbote, Peru, about how the
industry is affecting the local environment and its residents. Help
support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod