American research found small plastic particles in 88% of tested samples of seafood, pork and beef, chicken and meat substitutes.
It has long been known that fish and seafood are often contaminated with so-called microplastics, tiny pieces of plastic. However, much less research has been done on meat.
Researchers at the University of Toronto looked at sixteen types of proteins, including pork and beef, chicken, tofu and three types of plant-based meat substitutes. They found microplastics in 88% of the samples examined, and the concentrations were comparable to those in fish.
Food processing
Research in Environmental Pollution points to food processing as the most likely source of microplastic contamination, as highly processed products such as fish fingers or chicken nuggets contain significantly higher concentrations than minimally processed products such as pollock or chicken fillet raw.
“It’s tempting to draw conclusions like ‘eat less of this and more of that’ to avoid microplastics in your diet; but at the moment we still know very little about the quantity of microplastics present in food,” he says Madeleine Milne, biologist at the University of Toronto. “Our study provides new information, but more importantly it shows the need for further research to better understand the bigger picture: where these microplastics come from and what the potential risks to public health are.”
No way out
Based on previous studies, scientists estimate that an average American adult ingests 11,500 microplastics per year.
«There seems to be no escape, no matter what you eat. Plastic pollution affects us all and we must act to combat its many forms.”
“This once again confronts us with the facts about the extent of plastic pollution,” he says Britta Baechler, marine biologist at Ocean Conservancy. «There seems to be no escape, no matter what you eat. Plastic pollution affects us all and we must act to combat its many forms.”
Bottled water
Earlier this week, another study showed that mineral water also contains many more plastic particles than previously thought. Scientists have counted up to 240,000 micro- and nanoplastics in one bottle. This is a hundred times more than previously thought.
Nanoplastics measure less than 100 nanometers and are barely visible even with the most modern microscopes. They are so small that they can pass directly into the bloodstream through the intestines and lungs, and from there to organs such as the heart and brain.
2024-01-12 04:00:41
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