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Microplastic in the farm animal derived food chain: The silent contaminants from farm to fork
Summary
Researchers reviewed five years of studies on microplastic contamination in animal-derived foods — including milk, meat, and eggs — finding that plastics enter livestock through ingestion and breathing, then end up in products consumed by humans. Once ingested, plastic particles can damage cell structures including mitochondria and the nucleus, potentially disrupting the digestive, reproductive, and nervous systems.
This review highlights research from the past five years on microplastic (MP) contamination in foods of animal origin and the associated health risks.MPs, ranging from 0.1 m to 5,000 m, are widespread in the environment and pose significant ecological hazards.They can enter animals through ingestion, respiratory pathways, and surface contact.Products such as milk, meat, eggs, and their derivatives have been found contaminated with MPs, either at the farm level or during processing and packaging.Consumption of these contaminated products poses serious health risks, as toxic polymers in MPs which can disrupt cell membranes and damage critical organelles, including mitochondria, lysosomes, the endoplasmic reticulum, and the nucleus, leading to disorders affecting the digestive, respiratory, reproductive, and nervous systems.Preventing MP contamination in animal-derived foods requires a comprehensive strategy encompassing improved farm management, reduction of MPs at their sources, policy measures, technological solutions, and active community participation.Food safety regulations should also consider MPs as a parameter for ensuring the quality and safety of animal-derived products.