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Microplastic Contamination in the Global Food Supply Chain
Summary
This systematic review assessed global microplastic contamination across food supply chain products from 2007 to 2022, including seafood, salt, honey, beer, and bottled water. Virtually all food categories showed microplastic presence, with seafood showing the highest levels and highlighting that diverse dietary sources collectively contribute to daily human plastic ingestion.
Objectives: Microplastic contamination of the global food supply chain poses serious risks to food safety and human health. This narrative review evaluates the contamination levels in various food products, detection methods, associated health risks, and existing regulatory measures. Methods: This review, conducted per PRISMA guidelines, assessed global microplastic contamination in the food supply chain from 2007–2022. A comprehensive database search identified 32 eligible studies. Data were synthesized narratively across themes: contamination levels, detection methods, health risks, and regulations. Quality assessment followed SANRA and Newcastle-Ottawa guidelines to ensure transparency, reproducibility, and methodological rigor. Results: Microplastics have been found in seafood, dairy, meat, bottled water, and packaged foods, with concentrations varying based on processing and storage conditions. Common detection methods include Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Seafood exhibited the highest contamination due to marine plastic pollution, whereas bottled water samples showed 93% contamination. Packaged foods stored in plastic containers also had significant microplastic content. Reported health risks include oxidative stress, gut microbiota disruption, inflammation, and toxin bioaccumulation. The lack of standardized detection protocols has contributed to the variability in the reported contamination levels. Conclusion: Microplastic contamination of food is widespread and has significant implications for human health. While detection methods are improving, regulatory measures remain inconsistent. Urgent action is needed to establish standardized protocols, stricter policies, and further research to assess long-term health risks and mitigate contamination.
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