Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses

This umbrella review of epidemiological studies examines the health effects of ultra-processed foods, which are a significant source of human microplastic exposure due to plastic packaging. Ultra-processed foods have been linked to a wide range of adverse health outcomes in population studies. The connection between processed food packaging and microplastic contamination adds another dimension to why reducing ultra-processed food consumption may benefit health.

2024 BMJ 596 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic: Its Effect on Human Health

This review outlines how microplastics from single-use packaging, bottles, and consumer goods enter the food chain through ingestion and inhalation, serving as carriers for toxic chemical additives and adsorbed pollutants that pose risks to human health.

2023 Asian Journal of Microbiology Biotechnology and Environmental Sciences 1 citations
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Microplastics and mental health: The role of ultra-processed foods

This paper proposes that microplastics in ultra-processed foods may partly explain why these foods are linked to worse mental health outcomes. With over 50% of calories in the U.S. coming from ultra-processed sources, and recent findings showing alarming microplastic levels in human brains, the authors suggest that food processing and packaging introduce microplastics that could affect brain function.

2025 Brain medicine : 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential risk assessment and toxicological impacts of nano/micro-plastics on human health through food products

This review examined the potential risks and toxicological effects of nano- and microplastics on human health through food products, identifying key contamination sources in the food chain and their harmful impacts on the body.

2023 Advances in food and nutrition research 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro(nano)plastic and Related Chemicals: Emerging Contaminants in Environment, Food and Health Impacts

This review summarizes recent research on microplastic contamination found in all types of food, from seafood and produce to drinks and packaging, as well as in human blood, heart, placenta, and breast milk. Studies using mammals and human cells suggest microplastics can damage the lungs, kidneys, heart, nervous system, and DNA, though research is complicated by the many variables involved. The review highlights the growing evidence that microplastics and their chemical additives in food represent a real and widespread threat to human health.

2024 Toxics 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic materials used in the food industry, their influence on health, and potential solutions

This review examines how plastics used in food packaging gradually degrade into microplastics that leach into food and beverages, posing potential health risks to consumers. It surveys the main plastic types used in the food industry, the health concerns associated with microplastic and additive exposure, and proposed solutions including biodegradable alternatives. The findings underscore that everyday food packaging is a significant and underappreciated source of microplastic exposure for the general public.

2023 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Ultra-processed foods and cardiometabolic health: public health policies to reduce consumption cannot wait

Researchers argue that the strong and growing evidence linking ultra-processed foods to heart disease, diabetes, and other metabolic conditions justifies immediate public health action. Ultra-processed foods may cause harm through multiple pathways, including their plastic packaging, chemical additives, and poor nutritional quality. The authors stress that waiting for complete scientific understanding of every mechanism should not delay policies to reduce consumption of these foods.

2023 BMJ 126 citations
Article Tier 2

Not Food: Time to Call Ultra-Processed Products by Their True Name

This perspective argues that ultra-processed products should no longer be classified as food, given mounting evidence linking them to increased risk of chronic disease, poor mental health, and higher mortality. Researchers reviewed studies showing these products often contain additives, synthetic chemicals, and packaging-derived contaminants including microplastics. The piece calls for a fundamental rethinking of how heavily processed products are labeled and regulated.

2024 Gastronomy 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in food: scoping review on health effects, occurrence, and human exposure

This review synthesizes evidence on microplastic occurrence in a broad range of food types beyond fish and shellfish, estimated human dietary exposure, and potential health effects including toxicity from particles themselves, leached monomers, chemical additives, and co-contaminants, identifying major research gaps in non-marine food categories.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Food Products

This chapter reviews microplastic contamination in food products, tracing the pathways by which plastic particles enter the food supply from environmental contamination, packaging leaching, and food processing. The authors discuss health concerns associated with dietary microplastic exposure and the regulatory landscape around food safety.

2024
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Foods and Beverages

This review examines microplastic contamination across a wide range of food and beverage products, describing the detection techniques used to identify microplastic particles and summarizing findings on which products are most affected. The authors also discuss the potential health consequences of human dietary microplastic ingestion.

2024 Repository of the Faculty of Food Technology Osijek
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in human food chains: Food becoming a threat to health safety

This review traces how microplastics enter the human food chain through both animal and plant sources, food packaging, and beverages. Once consumed, microplastics can accumulate in tissues and release harmful chemicals like plasticizers and heavy metals inside the body. The study emphasizes that food has become a major exposure pathway for microplastics and calls for stricter regulation of plastic use in food production and packaging.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 542 citations
Article Tier 2

Emerging Threat of Food Contamination by Microplastics and its Influence on Safety and Human Perspective

Researchers reviewed how widespread plastic use across industry has made microplastic contamination of food a serious public health concern, with particles entering the food supply through environmental pathways including runoff, wastewater, and air. Addressing this threat requires tighter regulations, better food supply monitoring, and public education on exposure risks.

2025 International Journal of Advanced Science and Engineering
Article Tier 2

Review of micro- and nanoplastic contamination in the food chain

This review examines the contamination of the human food chain with micro- and nanoplastics, from seafood and drinking water to processed foods and packaging. Researchers found that while plastic particles are widely present in food and beverages, the actual health impacts on humans remain largely unknown due to inconsistent study methods. The study calls for standardized analytical approaches to properly assess dietary microplastic exposure and its potential risks.

2019 Food Additives & Contaminants Part A 592 citations
Article Tier 2

Food Contamination with Micro-plastics: Occurrences, Bioavailability,Human Vulnerability, and Prevention

The study reviews the occurrence, bioavailability, and potential health impacts of microplastics in food, noting that contamination has been detected in foodstuffs and beverages worldwide. Researchers highlight that current data on dietary microplastic exposure remains insufficient for comprehensive risk assessment, and call for standardized methodologies to better evaluate the threat to human health.

2023 Current Nutrition & Food Science 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of plastic consumer products: a biological, chemical and social-ecological analysis

This study analyzed the toxic chemicals found in consumer plastic products, including additives, monomers, and processing by-products that can leach into food or the environment. The findings highlight that plastic toxicity extends beyond microplastic particles themselves — the chemicals embedded in plastics pose significant health risks through food packaging and environmental contamination.

2021
Article Tier 2

A review on micro and nano plastics: A rising concern as food contaminants

This review examined micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) as rising food contaminants, reporting concentrations up to 1.7 million particles/km² in some ocean regions and documenting how MNPs enter food chains through water, seafood, packaging, and food processing—posing risks to food safety and human health.

2025 International Journal of Applied Research
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination in Food Processing: Role of Packaging Materials

This review examines how food packaging materials release microplastics into food products during production, storage, and transportation. Plastic containers, films, and wraps can shed tiny particles through mechanical wear, heat exposure, and chemical interactions with food. The findings highlight that packaging is a significant and often overlooked source of microplastic contamination in the food we eat.

2024 Food Science and Engineering 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Food and human safety: the impact of microplastics

This review characterizes the scope of microplastic contamination in the human food supply, examining how these particles enter food through environmental contamination, processing, and packaging. Researchers found microplastics in a wide range of foods including seafood, salt, honey, and beverages, with concentrations varying by food type and region. The study highlights the need for standardized detection methods and risk assessments to better understand the health implications of dietary microplastic exposure.

2022 Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 130 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nano-plastic contamination in foods and potential risk to human health

This review summarizes the current state of knowledge about micro- and nanoplastic contamination in food, covering sources, occurrence, and analytical detection methods. Researchers found that while various foods, especially seafood, contain measurable levels of microplastics, the health risks to humans remain difficult to assess due to inconsistent research methods. The study calls for standardized approaches to better evaluate dietary exposure and potential health impacts.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Food

This review summarized the current evidence on microplastic and nanoplastic contamination in food, covering their sources, analytical detection methods, and potential health implications for consumers. The paper highlighted the rapid growth in food contamination data and the ongoing uncertainties about human dietary exposure levels and health risks.

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Source, migration path and pollution of microplastics and nano-plastics in food

This review traced the sources, migration pathways, and food contamination status of microplastics and nanoplastics, covering their entry into food chains through packaging, processing, environmental pollution, and water sources—and discussing potential accumulation in the human body and associated health risks.

2025 Advances in Food Science and Human Nutrition
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of meso/micro/nano plastics and plastic additives in food from food packaging.

This chapter reviewed the contamination of food by plastics from packaging materials, examining migration mechanisms for meso-, micro-, and nano-plastics and plastic additives, and discussing how food type, packaging material, and processing conditions influence contamination levels under current regulatory frameworks.

2023 Advances in food and nutrition research
Article Tier 2

Potential risk of microplastics in processed foods: Preliminary risk assessment concerning polymer types, abundance, and human exposure of microplastics

This review compiles data on microplastic contamination across 11 types of processed foods, including beverages, canned goods, and packaged items, and conducts a preliminary risk assessment of human exposure. Researchers found that processing and packaging steps introduce additional microplastics beyond what is present in raw ingredients. The study estimates daily intake levels and identifies sugar, salt, and honey as food categories with particularly high microplastic counts.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 121 citations