Single-use paper cups used for takeaway coffee and other beverages release millions of microplastic particles when exposed to hot liquid, University of Queensland researchers have found.
Yeah, I’ve been assuming that plastic isn’t something I want anywhere near my food but can only really control plastic contact with my food inside my place. Most comes packaged in plastic. I think glass jars and produce/things produced in the store are the only things that don’t automatically come in contact with plastic, though in practice it’s only the glass jars that continue to avoid it because the stores provide plastic packaging for produce and their other stuff like meat/deli cuts or baked goods.
And I’d be surprised if the contents inside the glass jars aren’t typically stored in plastic between the farm and the jarring plant, though at least there the bins are likely large enough that contact is minimal for anything not at the edges.
You’re right. But, it’s less about the storage, and more about the processing. The machines used to process food all have plastic parts, bearing surfaces that wear down.
Studies published in Food Chemistry found microplastics in every commercial olive oil they tested — so olive oil does have microplastics, and the plastic comes from the extraction and bottling chain, not the olives. A 2024 study of olive and vegetable oils from Italy and Spain measured a mean of about 1,140 particles per liter, mostly fragments under 100 microns and dominated by polyethylene and polypropylene — and found no significant difference between oils bottled in glass and in plastic.
At least PE and PP are relatively harmless. I think the narrative than any microplastic is bad covers up the evil that was polluting our world with PFAS.
I’d have to think you’re right about this. Plastic is so versatile, I’ll bet it’s all over any sort of food processing.
Yeah, I’ve been assuming that plastic isn’t something I want anywhere near my food but can only really control plastic contact with my food inside my place. Most comes packaged in plastic. I think glass jars and produce/things produced in the store are the only things that don’t automatically come in contact with plastic, though in practice it’s only the glass jars that continue to avoid it because the stores provide plastic packaging for produce and their other stuff like meat/deli cuts or baked goods.
And I’d be surprised if the contents inside the glass jars aren’t typically stored in plastic between the farm and the jarring plant, though at least there the bins are likely large enough that contact is minimal for anything not at the edges.
One study found that stuff in glass jars actually had more microplastics than stuff in plastic bottles, from the paint on the lid.
You’re right. But, it’s less about the storage, and more about the processing. The machines used to process food all have plastic parts, bearing surfaces that wear down.
At least PE and PP are relatively harmless. I think the narrative than any microplastic is bad covers up the evil that was polluting our world with PFAS.