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Microplastics shed by food packaging are contaminating our food, study finds
Microscopic bits of plastic are sloughing off into food and beverages when consumers unwrap the plastic packaging, a new study has shown.
In fact, the abrasion from repeatedly opening and closing the caps on glass and plastic bottles can release an untold amount of micro- and nanoplastics into the beverage, said Lisa Zimmermann, lead author of the study published Tuesday in the journal NPJ Science of Food. The lack of standard protocol can make it difficult to adequately compare findings, said senior study author Jane Muncke, managing director and chief scientific officer at the Food Packaging Forum. Migration into food also increased when the plastic packaging was heated, washed for reuse, exposed to sunlight and subjected to mechanical stress — such as the twist used to open a bottle cap, according to the review.
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