Alaska pollock is one of the lowest-mercury fish you can eat. With an average mercury concentration of just 0.031 parts per million (ppm), it falls squarely in the FDA and EPA’s “Best Choice” category for seafood safety. That’s roughly four times less mercury than canned light tuna and more than ten times less than fresh yellowfin tuna.
How Much Mercury Is in Alaska Pollock
Based on FDA testing of 95 samples, Alaska pollock averages 0.03 micrograms of mercury per gram of fish. To put that in perspective, any fish averaging 0.15 micrograms per gram or less earns the top “Best Choice” safety rating. Pollock comes in at one-fifth of that cutoff, making it one of the cleanest commercial fish on the market alongside sardines, salmon, and tilapia.
Mercury accumulates in fish through a process called bioaccumulation: smaller fish absorb trace amounts, and predators that eat them concentrate those amounts further up the food chain. Alaska pollock stays low on this scale because it feeds primarily on plankton and small organisms rather than other fish. Its relatively short lifespan (most are harvested at three to four years old) also limits the time mercury has to build up in its tissue.
Alaska Pollock Compared to Tuna
If you’re choosing between pollock and tuna, the mercury gap is significant. Here’s how they compare using FDA mean values:
- Alaska pollock: 0.031 ppm
- Canned light tuna: 0.126 ppm
- Skipjack tuna (fresh/frozen): 0.144 ppm
- Albacore tuna (canned): 0.350 ppm
- Yellowfin tuna (fresh/frozen): 0.354 ppm
- Bigeye tuna (fresh/frozen): 0.689 ppm
Even canned light tuna, often recommended as the “safer” tuna option, contains about four times the mercury of pollock. Fresh bigeye tuna has more than 22 times the mercury. If minimizing mercury exposure is a priority, pollock is a far safer pick than any form of tuna.
Safety During Pregnancy and for Children
The FDA and EPA jointly recommend that pregnant and breastfeeding women eat two to three servings per week from the “Best Choice” list, with each serving sized at 4 ounces. Alaska pollock qualifies for this top tier, so you can eat it multiple times a week without concern about mercury accumulation.
For children, the FDA recommends two servings per week from the “Best Choice” list, with portion sizes scaled by age: about 1 ounce for ages one to three, 2 ounces for ages four to seven, 3 ounces for ages eight to ten, and 4 ounces at age eleven. Pollock’s extremely low mercury level makes it a practical protein source for kids, especially as fish sticks or other mild-flavored preparations that tend to go over well with younger eaters.
What About Imitation Crab and Fish Sticks
Alaska pollock is the primary ingredient in surimi, the processed fish paste used to make imitation crab. It’s also the base for most frozen fish sticks and fast-food fish sandwiches. Since these products start with pollock, their mercury levels remain very low. The processing itself (washing, forming, and cooking the fish paste) doesn’t add mercury. If anything, the washing steps used to make surimi may reduce mercury slightly because some is carried away with the water-soluble protein fraction, though the starting level is already negligible.
Nutritional Value Beyond Mercury
Low mercury is only part of the picture. Alaska pollock also delivers a solid dose of omega-3 fatty acids: roughly 100 milligrams of EPA and 400 milligrams of DHA per 100-gram serving. That 500 milligrams of combined omega-3s is meaningful. Most health organizations recommend 250 to 500 milligrams of combined EPA and DHA daily, so a single serving of pollock gets you there. It won’t match the omega-3 content of salmon or mackerel, but it delivers noticeably more than tilapia or cod.
Pollock is also a lean, high-protein fish. A 100-gram portion provides around 20 grams of protein with very little fat, making it one of the more efficient ways to get both protein and omega-3s without worrying about contaminants. Its mild flavor and flaky texture make it versatile enough for regular rotation in your weekly meals, which is exactly the kind of consistent fish consumption that delivers the most health benefit.