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Plastic Particles on the Plate: Impact on Food Security and Human Health
Summary
This research review found that people eat tiny plastic particles called microplastics in their food every year - roughly the same weight as eating 32 plastic grocery bags annually. These plastic bits get into our food both from polluted environments (like contaminated fish) and from plastic packaging materials. While scientists have already found these microplastics in human body tissues, they still don't fully understand what health problems they might cause.
Human exposure to microplastics through the food supply is inexorable. This chapter examines the journey of microplastics from the environment to our plates. Food chain contamination may arise from the organisms’ exposure (intrinsic) or from food contact materials (extrinsic). Microplastics can affect food production (food security) and potentially cause adverse effects on human health (food safety). Widespread contamination of foods leads to an estimated exposure up to 108 microplastics per capita per year, equivalent to ingesting the weight of 32.5 plastic bags annually. Not surprisingly, microplastics have already been detected in human tissues, though the consequences remain poorly understood. In summary, this chapter contributes to a better understanding of the impact of plastic particles on food security, consumer safety, and sustainability.
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