Microplastics in the Food Chain

Plastics have been made from fossil fuels for more than a century. However, the usage of plastic has increased exponentially as it has been identified as a multipurpose material. Microplastics are commonly found due to improper disposal methods. Consequently, microplastics enter the food chain via water, soil, and air during the production stage of agricultural commodities. In addition, major steps in the food value chain, such as post-harvest handling, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, and serving, are key routes of contamination by microplastics. In particular, when synthetic plastic materials are used for food packaging, they can leak into food, causing health hazards. Bisphenols and phthalates are endocrine disruptors implicated in noncommunicable diseases and toxicity to the human brain. To avoid contamination of the food chain by microplastics, replacing plastics with natural materials and recycling plastics can be considered. This chapter focuses on identifying methods of contamination, reducing the risk of contamination, and using alternative packaging materials and techniques to minimize contamination by microplastics in the food chain and food value chain.