Microplastics: Further research discovers plastics presence in food products

20 Mar 2018 --- A further study has detected the presence of microplastics, originating from textiles used in clothing, carpets and furniture. The fibers, found in the air and in fillets of fish, area 0.25mm to 1mm long, have led the UN Head of Environment, Erik Solheim, to reiterate the call for action against the “Plastic Pandemic.”

The research, spanning ten years, was praised by the UN Head.

“It’s high time for people to pay attention to the science and accept that we simply cannot afford to continue with this carefree attitude to polluting our water and the air we breathe. We still don’t know nearly enough about the potential health risks of plastics pollution, although this is fast becoming an area of high priority research because of the sheer scale of the problem. Still, common sense dictates that inaction is not an option.”

The news has been awash with studies revealing concerning levels of plastic in daily life, particularly in the water we drink.

However, the longitudinal research also found microplastics in food, such as fillets of fish.

Therese Coffrey, the UK minister of Environment also commented on the "deeply disturbing” findings. She reiterated the actions the UK Government are taking to tackle plastic. These include a stringent ban on microbeads and the plastic bag fee.

Despite widespread global initiatives to tackle plastic pollution, plastic production has continued to increase. According to Innova Market Insights, 58 percent of globally launched food and beverage products in 2017 was packaged in plastic, a 5 percent increase from 2013, while 96 percent of all newly launched water products in 2017 were packaged in PET bottles. 

And, according to the Worldwatch Institute, the average North American consumes 100 kilograms of plastic every year yet globally, only 14 percent of our plastic waste is being recycled. 

This constitutes a mammoth amount of plastic in our immediate environment and, according to the Earth Institute at Columbia University, 165 million tons of plastic debris in our oceans.

However, the recent research has brought the plastic concern closer to home as the harmful effects of microplastics in food and beverage products, on the human body, is still largely unknown. Research on this front is being undertaken by the World Health Organization.

Interestingly, despite the continuing developments in the bid for a plastic-free world, the association, Petcore Europe has enjoyed rapid expansion, with 11 new members already joining in 2018.