[Contamination of food and beverages with microplastic particles]

Human exposure to microplastics contained in food has become a serious problem due to the growing accumulation of microplastics in a wide range of different ecosystems: from terrestrial to aquatic, in the organs of various organisms, including humans. The aim of this research was to summarize data on microplastic contamination of mass consumption products such as bottled drinking water, beverages, including sweet carbonated, dairy products, fish and other seafood. Material and methods. The search for studies and literature reviews on the topic of studying contamination of food and beverages with plastic microparticles was carried out using the databases PubMed, Science Daily, ResearchGate by keywords: microplastics, food contamination, the effect of microplastics on the human body. 72 articles by foreign authors have been studied. Results. The review provides up-to-date information on microplastic contamination of mass-consumed food in the world: drinking water, carbonated drinks, beer, milk. Most studies of microplastic contamination focus on marine and freshwater food sources. Although there is a large amount of research on seafood, such as fish and shellfish, it is difficult to assess the overall effects of microplastics on humans in general when consuming food due to the lack of convincing data on many other foods. Microplastics can be added or removed from food raw materials during processing and cooking. Conclusion. Consumption of food contaminated with microplastics poses a potential risk to human health. Studies of the microplastic intake with food, drinking water and beverages, as well as their distribution in the body, should be a priority to understand their impact and potential risk to human health. Research on processed foods is crucial to assess the contribution of food to the overall human consumption of microplastics and to assess the risks of exposure.