A recent study revealed that opening a bottle or unwrapping a piece of deli meat could add small plastic particles to your food.
According to a study published in NPJ Science of Food, Microplastic and nanoplastics can enter food during processing, packaging and even normal use, such as tearing off a plastic wrapper.
For the study, researchers assessed about 100 studies and discovered plastic particles in common foods, including rice, canned fish, sodas, and bottled water, as reported by CNN.
They can travel via your whole body, potentially carrying hazardous chemicals into the bloodstream.
Results indicated that these particles in human tissues, such as the liver, breast milk, and brain, and their presence may be associated with different health issues.
A March 2024 study discovered that individuals with plastic in their arteries had significantly higher chances of suffering a heart attack or stroke.
Ultra-Processed foods, which involve more plastic processing equipment, consist of increased amounts of microplastics. Heating, reusing, or squeezing plastic containers may also release particles.
Experts urged consumers to minimise their plastic exposure and replace it by using stainless steel or glass containers, avoiding microwave food in plastic, and recycling codes to avoid dangerous plastic as a precautionary measure to prevent any serious complication.
Furthermore, experts have called for systemic action to limit pollution and plastic production, as people alone won’t be able to resolve the issue.
