Microplastics, an emerging challenge for food safety

Subject Areas : Food Hygiene

G. karim ¹ (Professor, Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Tehran University, Tehran, Tehran, Iran)

Received: 2022-09-18 Accepted : 2022-10-17 Published : 2022-08-23

Keywords: Water, environment, Micro plastics, Food stuffs,

Abstract :

Microplastics (MPs) have been identified as emerging environmental pollutants classified as primary or secondary based on their source. Composition, shape, size, and color, among other characteristics, are associated with their capacity to access the food chain and their risks. While the environmental impact of MPs has received much attention, the risks for humans derived from their dietary exposure have not been yet assessed. Several institutions and researchers support that the current knowledge does not supply solid data to complete a solid risk characterization of dietary MPs. The aim of this paper is to review the current knowledge about MPs in foods and to discuss the challenges and gaps for a risk analysis. The presence of MPs in food and beverages has been worldwide observed, but most authors considered the current data to be not only insufficient, but of questionable quality, mainly because of the outstanding lack of consensus about a standardized quantifying method and a unified nomenclature. Drinking water, crustaceans/molluscs, fish, and salt have been identified as relevant dietary sources of MPs for humans by most published studies. The hazard characterization presents several gaps concerning the knowledge of the toxicokinetic, toxicodynamic, and toxicity of MPs in humans that impede the estimation of food safety standards based on risk.

References:

● Adhikari, S., Kelkar, V., Kumar, R. and Halden, R.U. (2022). Methods and challenges in the detection of microplastics and nanoplastics: a mini‐review. Polymer International, 71(5): 543-551.

● Ajith, N., Arumugam, S., Parthasarathy, S., Manupoori, S. and Janakiraman, S. (2020). Global distribution of microplastics and its impact on marine environment-a review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27(21): 25970-25986.

● Alcamo, J., Puig, D., Metz, B., Demkine, V. and Farrell, T.C. (2014). The Emissions Gap Report 2014: A UNEP Synthesis Report. http://www.unep.org/emissionsgapreport2014/

● Cella, C., La Spina, R., Mehn, D., Fumagalli, F., Ceccone, G., Valsesia, A., et al. (2022). Detecting micro-and nanoplastics released from food packaging: challenges and analytical strategies. Polymers, 14(6):1238.

● Collard, F., Gasperi, J., Gabrielsen, G.W. and Tassin, B. (2019). Plastic particle ingestion by wild freshwater fish: a critical review. Environmental Science & Technology, 53(22): 12974-12988.

● Crawford, C.B. and Quinn, B. (2016). Microplastic pollutants. Elsevier Limited, UK

● Herbort, A.F., Sturm, M.T., Fiedler, S., Abkai, G. and Schuhen, K. (2018). Alkoxy-silyl induced agglomeration: a new approach for the sustainable removal of microplastic from aquatic systems. Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 26(11): 4258-4270.

● Horton, A.A., Jürgens, M.D., Lahive, E., van Bodegom, P.M. and Vijver, M.G. (2018). The influence of exposure and physiology on microplastic ingestion by the freshwater fish Rutilus rutilus (roach) in the River Thames, UK. Environmental Pollution, 236: 188-194.

● Huang, Y., Chapman, J., Deng, Y. and Cozzolino, D. (2020). Rapid measurement of microplastic contamination in chicken meat by mid infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics: A feasibility study. Food Control, 113: 107187.

● Kedzierski, M., Lechat, B., Sire, O., Le Maguer, G., Le Tilly, V. and Bruzaud, S. (2020). Microplastic contamination of packaged meat: Occurrence and associated risks. Food Packaging and Shelf Life, 24: 100489.

● Kutralam-Muniasamy, G., Pérez-Guevara, F., Elizalde-Martínez, I. and Shruti, V.C. (2020). Branded milks–Are they immune from microplastics contamination? Science of the Total Environment, 714: 136823.

● Leslie, H.A., Van Velzen, M.J., Brandsma, S.H., Vethaak, A.D., Garcia-Vallejo, J.J. and Lamoree, M.H. (2022). Discovery and quantification of plastic particle pollution in human blood. Environment International, 163: 107199.

● Ma, Y. (2018). Changing Tetra Pak: from waste to resource. Science Progress, 101(2): 161-170.

• Magalhães, S., Alves, L., Medronho, B., Romano, A. and Rasteiro, M.D.G. (2020). Microplastics in ecosystems: from current trends to bio-based removal strategies. Molecules, 25(17): 3954.


• Mason, S.A., Welch, V.G. and Neratko, J. (2018). Synthetic polymer contamination in bottled water. Frontiers in Chemistry, 6: 407.


• Nomura, N., Mishima, F. and Nishijima, S. (2021). Study of micro-plastics separation from sea water with electro-magnetic force. Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics, 23(3):10-13.


• Parenti, C.C., Ghilardi, A., Della Torre, C., Magni, S., Del Giacco, L. and Binelli, A. (2019). Evaluation of the infiltration of polystyrene nanobeads in zebrafish embryo tissues after short-term exposure and the related biochemical and behavioural effects. Environmental Pollution, 254: 112947.


• Rainieri, S. and Barranco, A. (2019). Microplastics, a food safety issue? Trends in Food Science & Technology, 84: 55-57.


• Rhodes, C.J. (2018). Plastic pollution and potential solutions. Science Progress, 101(3): 207-260.


• Schmid, K., Winemiller, K.O., Chelazzi, D., Cincinelli, A., Dei, L. and Giarrizzo, T. (2018). First evidence of microplastic ingestion by fishes from the Amazon River estuary. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 133: 814-821.


• Slootmaekers, B., Carteny, C.C., Belpaire, C., Saverwyns, S., Fremout, W., Blust, R., et al. (2019). Microplastic contamination in gudgeons (Gobio gobio) from Flemish rivers (Belgium). Environmental Pollution, 244: 675-684.


• Wu, W.M., Yang, J. and Criddle, C.S. (2017). Microplastics pollution and reduction strategies. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, 11(1): 1-4.


• Wu, F., Wang, Y., Leung, J.Y., Huang, W., Zeng, J., Tang, Y., et al. (2020). Accumulation of microplastics in typical commercial aquatic species: a case study at a productive aquaculture site in China. Science of the Total Environment, 708: 135432.


• Zurier, H.S. and Goddard, J.M. (2021). Biodegradation of microplastics in food and agriculture. Current Opinion in Food Science, 37: 37-44.