Microplastics found in beef and pork for the first time

Microplastics have been found in supermarket food and farm animals in the Netherlands, however, its impact on human health is unknown.

According to the Guardian, this is the first time the world has reported on microplastic contamination in beef, pork as well as the blood of cows and pigs on farms.

Scientists at Vrije University Amsterdam (KING) in the Netherlands found microplastics in three-quarters of the meat and dairy products tested. In particular, 100% of blood samples participating in the test contained microplastic particles.

They are also found in all animal feed pellets. This proves that microplastics are entering animals through a very important potential pollution route. Plastic packaged food products are the leading hypothesis for this finding.

The team at the University of Amsterdam were also the first to detect microplastics in human blood in March. They use similar methods to test animal products. The detection of microplastics in the blood shows that they can travel throughout the body and reside in organs.

At present, the impact of these microplastics on human health or on farm animals is unknown. However, the authors are concerned that microplastics cause a lot of damage to human cells in the laboratory, from outside the air, it enters the body and causes millions of premature deaths each year. Some wildlife is also affected by microplastics.

Large amounts of plastic waste and microplastics have polluted the entire planet, from the summit of Mount Everest to the deep oceans. Humans consume these microscopic particles through food and water, as well as by breathing.

Dr Heather Leslie, Vrije University Amsterdam, lead author of the study, said: "When you have a blood test, you're looking at the dose absorbed from all the different exposures: air, water, food. . So immediately, it tells you what got into the body and how."

The study by Mr. Leslie and his colleagues was conducted to evaluate whether microplastics are present in farm animals, meat and dairy. The scientists tested 12 bovine blood samples and 12 pig blood samples and found microplastics in all, including polyethylene and polystyrene. In addition, 25 milk samples from supermarket boxes, farm containers to manual milking areas were also analyzed. 18/25 samples had at least one microplastic.

Especially 7/8 samples of beef, 5/8 samples of pork were contaminated. Farm animals and meat have yet to be tested in other countries, but microplastics have been reported in milk purchased in Switzerland in 2021 and milk from farms in France.

Maria Westerbos, from the Plastic Soup Foundation, said: "Microplastics are found in animal feed and it's not surprising that the majority of meat and dairy products tested contain microplastics. We need them urgently. provide for the removal of plastic in animal feed to protect the health of animals and people".

In the book Climate is changing, why aren't we?, the founder of non-profit organization Ocean Generation - Daisy Kendrick - predicts: "If current trends continue, by 2050 there will be up to 12 billion tons. plastic in landfills. This is 35,000 times heavier than the Empire State Building."

Not only blood, placenta, microplastics have been detected in living human lung tissue samples. Most recently, they were found in fresh snow in Antarctica.

Currently, we can rely on two ways to verify that a product contains microplastics or not.

1. See ingredients in products used for Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polyethylene terephthalate, Poly(methyl methacrylate), Polystyrene, Polylactic Acid (PLA).
2. Using software to scan product barcodes will know if they have microbeads or not, called 'Beat the microbeads' (developed by UNEP).