Microplastics contamination in selected staple consumer food products

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Food Science
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Microplastic (MP) contamination in food poses potential human health risks.
• Limited data exists on MP presence in staple foods within the Philippines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detect and identify microplastics in selected Philippine staple food products.
• To estimate human consumption of MPs from these food sources.
• To investigate the sources of MP contamination in food manufacturing and packaging.

Main Methods:

• Raman microspectroscopy was employed for MP identification and pigment analysis.
• Analysis focused on sea salt, white and brown sugar, fish sauce, and cooked rice.
• Quantification of MP concentrations in diverse food matrices.

Main Results:

• Microplastics were detected across all tested staple foods.
• Sea salt showed the highest contamination (471 MPs kg⁻¹), predominantly PVC.
• Sugar and rice samples contained PET and PP, likely from plastic packaging.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights significant MP contamination in Philippine staple foods.
• PVC in sea salt suggests issues in processing, while other MPs indicate packaging contamination.
• Findings underscore the need for improved plastic use in food production and packaging.