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Flaxseed oil that tests positive for phthalates

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Which flaxseed oils have the least amount of toxic phthalate contamination? Phthalates are hormone-disrupting chemicals in plastics & fragrances that find their way into many foods and personal care products via contamination. To solve this puzzle, Mamavation sent several of the most popular flaxseed oils off to an EPA-certified laboratory to test for several phthalates. You’ve trusted Mamavation to cover topics like (1) safest olive oils tested for phthalates, (2) safest coconut oils tested for phthalates, (3) safest salt sans heavy metals and microplastics,(4)  safest cookware without PFAS “forever chemicals” and nanoparticles, and (5) safest water purifiers that filter PFAS, now join us for another consumer study on flaxseed oil and hormone-disrupting phthalates.

Disclosure: This consumer study is released in partnership with Environmental Health News. Donations were provided by Environmental Health News and Mamavation community members. Note that Mamavation has only “spot-checked” the industry and thus we cannot make predictions about brands and products that we have not tested. Products and manufacturing aides can change without notice so buyer beware. This post contains affiliate links, with most to Amazon, which means Mamavation will receive a portion of those sales and we will use that to pay ourselves back for the testing. Please seek direction from your doctor when you need medical advice. You can also give a tax-deductible donation to our consumer studies here through Environmental Health Sciences. Thank you!  Copyright © 2025 Mamavation — All Rights Reserved

Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil in a wooden bowl

Phthalates Found in Popular Flaxseed Oils

Mamavation’s EPA-certified laboratory found phthalates in popular flaxseed oils. These chemicals are linked to serious health effects, including infertility & weight gain, which we will discuss later. Because phthalates are so problematic to hormones, Mamavation has commissioned our own scientific studies on phthalates in food products to make recommendations for the safest flaxseed oils for heart health. Continue reading Mamavation’s article on these products to find which brands have the lowest amounts of phthalates according to our laboratory.

For this consumer study, Mamavation sent seven popular flaxseed oils from 7 brands to an EPA-certified laboratory looking for phthalates. (We did not send other types of products like fish oil, linseed oil, or safflower oil.) Because Mamavation only tested one product per brand, we cannot claim to know if these issues are, in fact, industry-wide or portfolio-wide. However, based on our “spot-check” of the industry, this is what we found:

  • 71% of flaxseed oil supplements analyzed by our laboratory had traces of phthalates. This is a total of 5 detections from 7 flaxseed oil products.
  • Ranges of phthalates were from non-detect to 350 (ppb) parts per billion. Based on the amounts presented, we created 3 categories to communicate levels of phthalates found: (1) Flaxseed oils with the most contamination, (2) Flaxseed oils with intermediate contamination, & (3) Flaxseed Oils with the least contamination. These categories are not based on health impacts. They are based on presenting data and where the middle ground lies in each category.
  • 43% of Flaxseed oil products had over 100 ppb of total sum phthalates. That’s 3 out of 7 bottles of flaxseed oils over 100 ppb. We dubbed this the “Not Our Favorite Flaxseed Oils with High Contamination” realm.
  • 29% of Flaxseed oil products had between 10 ppb and 100 ppb phthalates. That’s 2 out of 7 bottles of flaxseed oil between 10 ppb and 100 ppb. We dubbed this the “Better Flaxseed Oils with Intermediate Contamination” realm
  • 29% of Flaxseed oil products were non-detect. That’s 2 out of 7 bottles of flaxseed oil that had non-detect test results. We dubbed this the “Best Flaxseed Oils with Least Contamination” realm.

You may use flax oil to boost your omega-3 fatty acid vs. omega-6 fatty acid profile or to lower blood pressure by adding it to your salad dressings, smoothies, or shakes to hide the flavor. It’s also a known help for diarrhea and constipation. In that case, this investigation will be very important to follow to reduce your family’s exposure to phthalates in flaxseed oil. These liquid products are linked with lowering inflammation and heart disease, among other things because of their high levels of ALA  (alpha-linolenic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). But will you really be getting these full health benefits if your dietary supplements are laced with a dosage of phthalates? Officially, this is unknown.

Phthalates are not ingredients you’ll find on the ingredient panel, but inside plastics and in undisclosed fragrances. When it comes to plastics, they work to make it more flexible. When they are in fragrances, they help carry the scent longer. These chemical contaminants are found in many types of products that are involved in the food service industry, like food service gloves, tubing used in dairy operations, hoses, holding tanks, and conveyor belts inside manufacturing plants. There are so many places where phthalates can show up because they are legal indirect food additives used in manufacturing for both conventional AND organic foods. There is some movement to restrict some ortho-phthalate chemicals from food packaging, but not from manufacturing in general.

Flaxseed sitting in a wooden spoon with some flaxseed oil on a tiny bowl on the table

Types of Phthalates Found in Our Flaxseed Oil Study

Our laboratory in the United States found three different types of phthalates in the flaxseed oil we sent to them. We only sent the lab the liquid form of this product. We did not send them any flaxseed oil in capsule form. Here’s a brief breakdown of each type of phthalate found by the lab.

  • Di-2-ethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP): DEHP is a highly toxic endocrine disruptor. It was also the most common phthalate found by our lab and is found commonly in building products (wallpaper, wire, and cable insulation), clothing (footwear, raincoats), car products, food packaging, medical devices, and children’s products (toys, grip bumpers). This chemical is also on California’s Prop. 65 list of carcinogens and reproductive toxicants. In addition, it’s been linked to endocrine disruption, reproductive issues, developmental issues, liver & kidney toxicity, asthma & allergies, & thyroid problems.
  • Diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP): Found commonly in PVC plastics, artificial leather, toys, carpet backing, covering on wires and cables, and pool liners. This chemical is also on California’s Prop. 65 list of carcinogens and reproductive toxicants. It’s associated with health concerns including liver & kidney toxicity, developmental issues, endocrine disruption, reproductive issues, asthma & allergies, & thyroid problems.
  • Dibutyl phthalate (DBP): This type of phthalate is an organic compound commonly used as a plasticizer and as an additive to adhesives or printing inks. It usually is a colorless oil, but it can have a yellow color. Use of this substance in cosmetics, such as in nail polishes, is banned in the European Union. DBP is one of the six phthalic acid esters found on the Priority Pollutant List regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Animal studies have observed that DBP is toxic to fetal development. This phthalate is associated with additional health concerns like reproductive toxicity, prenatal, perinatal, & post-natal toxicity, and genotoxicity.

Lots of examples of oils like flaxseed oil and avocado oil

Additional Studies Finding Phthalates in Oils

Phthalates are under the microscope right now because of the prevalence of microplastics in everyday life. Another scientific report co-authored by our friends at Defend Our Health published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology found phthalates in a range of popular children’s foods and organic products in 2023.

Mamavation has also done our own testing of several types of oils for phthalates:

Flaxseed oil next to a bowl of flaxseeds that do not have phthalates

Phthalates Have Specific Problematic Health Effects

Phthalates are linked to many health effects, as shown by several animal and human studies. This is very problematic because phthalates are linked with hormone disruption of the endocrine system, which regulates the body’s hormones, even in trace amounts in low concentrations. Epidemiological studies have revealed that exposure to phthalates adversely affects the level of hormones within the body, which can impact several important health functions. Here are some health effects that phthalate exposure is linked to.

We are unaware of any studies on the effects of flaxseed oil specifically and phthalates, so we do not know if these amounts of phthalates will have adverse effects. States like California have determined levels of where they believe phthalate are dangerous through Prop. 65. These levels are debatable and our advisors believe allowable levels within the State of California would impact hormone action in the human body. However, we know phthalates are problematic overall, so lowering the amount of phthalates you are exposed to would be wise. This is what we are trying to help you achieve through our belief in the precautionary pricinple.

Flaxseed oil sitting next to a glass bowl of flaxseeds

Other Categories of Products Mamavation Has Reviewed

Before we launch into the raw data from our lab, we wanted to remind you about all the other studies we have done on indications of PFAS “forever chemicals,” pesticides, & heavy metals inside the food and consumer products you may bring inside your home. Each one of these studies were done in a similar fashion as this study with brands sent independently to the certified lab and raw data of those labs at the bottom of the post.

If you are looking for investigations on small kitchen appliances, we have those types of investigations as well based on a material review of chemical disclosures and reaching out to brands individually:

Cookware & Bakeware

Other Kitchen Accessories

Small Kitchen Appliances

Flaxseed oil in a bottle sitting next to other flaxseed oil

Mamavation’s Investigation of Flaxseed Oils & Phthalates

Mamavation’s EPA-certified lab tested for the following phthalates. This is not a complete list of all the phthalates that are allowed to be present as an indirect food additive according to the FDA, however, this list goes above and beyond what is already restricted by the European Union or the State of California.

  • Diethyl phthalate (DEP)
  • Di-n-propyl phthalate (DPP)
  • Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP)
  • Dibutyl phthalate (DBP)
  • Dihexyl phthalate (DnHP)
  • Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP)
  • Dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP)
  • Diisononyl phthalate (DINP)
  • Di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP)
  • Diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP)
  • bis(2-Ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP)
  • Dimethyl phthalate (DMP)
  • Bis(2-propylheptyl) Phthalate (DPHP)
  • Didecyl phthalate (DDP)

Flaxseed Oil sitting on a wooden table

Mamavation’s Investigation of Flaxseed Oils

Not Our Favorite Flaxseed Oil

Over 100 ppb of total sum phthalates.

Flaxseed Oil supplements tested for total sum phthalates

Better Flaxseed Oil

Less than 100 ppb of total sum phthalates. Detection level was 10 ppb.

Flaxseed oil tested for phthalates sitting on a wooden table

Best Flaxseed Oil

These products were non-detect for total sum phthalates. Detection level was 10 ppb.

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Comments

  2. Heather

    All of the “best” and “better” options are in plastic. 🙁 So I guess pick your toxin in this case? Flora is in glass, but apparently higher in phthalates?! Seems like no perfect options then. I’ve heard you don’t want to buy oils in plastic because they leech.

    Reply

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