Microplastics in Food

Microplastics in Food

Animals foraging for food is a common sight in India. Cows are often seen feeding on garbage in urban streets in India. A pitiful sight is that of cows eating plastic along with discarded food.

There is a belief that milk from a cow milked in your sight, and consumed soon after, is healthier than processed milk, which is supplied commercially.  Fortunately, most of this fresh milk is boiled before consumption. If consumed without cooking, this practice can pose a risk of tuberculosis.

In rural areas, it is common to see cows, goats, sheep, pigs, and chickens foraging for food. All this raises the suspicion that non-vegetarian food in India could contain microplastics.

What can you do about this? There are several ways to detect microplastics in food [Velebit et al, 2023]. A simple method is:

1) Digest meat tissue using chemicals like KOH or H₂O₂ to isolate microplastics.

2) Use membrane filters to collect particles.

3) Screen for visible microplastics using a magnifying glass or a low-power microscope. There is a lot of interest in microplastic particles smaller than 10 micrometres. These may need to be viewed under a regular microscope.

Meat, pork, chicken, and fish can all be tested using this method. Eggs are less likely to have microplastics.

What about vegetables?
[Conti GO, et al, 2020] reports that vegetables and fruits often have a large number of microplastic particles. Apples and carrots are reported to have the highest particle counts. The method described above should work for both vegetables and fruits.

Srinivasan Ramani

Reference:
Velebit, B., Janković, V., Milojević, L., Baltić, T. and Ćirić, J., 2023. Overview of microplastics in the meat: occurrence, detection methods and health effects. Scientific journal" Meat Technology", 64(2), pp.36-41.
https://meatcon.rs/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/MeatCon-2023-Special-Issue.pdf#page=48

Conti GO, Ferrante M, Banni M, Favara C, Nicolosi I, Cristaldi A, Fiore M, Zuccarello P. Micro-and nano-plastics in edible fruit and vegetables. The first diet risks assessment for the general population. Environmental research. 2020 Aug 1;187:109677.
Micro- and nano-plastics in edible fruit and vegetables. The first diet risks assessment for the general population - ScienceDirect