Dietary exposure and risk assessment of plastic particles in cow's milk stored in various packaging materials

Food packaging is a crucial step in the storage of many food products, but it raises several concerns related to the materials used in its production. Among these, various types of plastic particles are commonly used in food containers, posing a risk of migration into food. One of them frequently stored in different types of packaging is cow's milk. Despite its nutritional significance, very limited data are available on the occurrence of plastic contaminants in milk, and no study has investigated the influence of packaging type. To partially address this gap, the present study aimed to compare the quantity and types of plastic particles detected in 11 different cow's milk samples stored in multilayer containers, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles, and glass bottles. In addition to a qualitative and quantitative comparison, we assessed dietary plastic intake and conducted a risk assessment based on quantitative and qualitative indices. The main findings revealed that milk stored in multilayer packaging contained a higher amount of plastic than milk stored in PET or glass bottles. Quantitative indices for risk assessment confirmed these differences, while the qualitative one highlighted that the presence of "unconventional" polymers increased the potential hazard for milk stored in PET and glass packaging.