8 Everyday Foods That Contain Plastic: Be Informed and Make Safer Choices

The biggest causes of microplastics are usually seafood, bottled drinks, and food packaging. Microplastics can be found even in your home, floating in the air and landing on your food. Simple steps to reduce microplastics include changing brands of salt and tea bags. This article will discuss eight common foods that contain plastic and provide safer alternatives to help reduce your plastic intake.

The Extent of Microplastics in Your Diet

Did you know that you consume thousands of bits of plastic every year? Our lifestyles are polluting the world's water supplies, which is feeding back into the food chain. Sharing this knowledge can help us make informed choices and reduce the amount of plastic we consume. While there is limited research on the long-term effects of ingesting plastic, lab results suggest negative impacts on health.

Common Everyday Foods Containing Plastic

Tea Bags

As of 2018, over 95% of tea bags contain plastic, which is used in the sealing of most tea bags. If a tea bag has a crimped edge or seal, it will contain plastic. Manufacturers claim it's just a small amount, but this makes tea bags undesirable to compost as they leave behind microplastics. To avoid microplastics in tea, use loose tea leaves or choose a brand that has folded edges and is sealed with a string and/or staple.

Tinned Foods

Most cans are lined with BPA, the plastic chemical linked to cancer, obesity, and other serious health conditions. This plastic leaches into the contents of the food and is a source of microplastics in the average person's diet. The worst food in cans is acidic produce like tomatoes, as the high pH value increases the number of plastics and chemicals leached into the food. Instead of buying tinned tomatoes, try getting tomatoes or passata in jars. A pressure cooker is a worthwhile investment to cook your own fresh pulses and beans from dried, making them less gassy and cutting down on the environmental cost of creating and transporting heavy tins.

Ready Meals and Food Packaging

Most ready meals are served in plastic packaging, which can leach microplastics both during manufacturing and when the plastic containers are microwaved or oven-baked. If you have to have ready meals, try to get ones in cardboard, as some manufacturers are moving away from plastic. Use a glass or ceramic container for cooking and serving. The plastic layer in disposable takeaway cups and juice containers can leach into the beverage and break down into microplastic fragments. Use your own takeaway cup made from a compostable material like bamboo to avoid this issue.

Salt

Sea and normal table salt can be contaminated with microplastics. Studies have shown that 1 kg of sea salt can contain over 600 microplastics. Even regular table salt contains microplastics, as recent studies showed that 36 of the 39 brands tested contained microplastics, with salts in Asia and Indonesia being significantly higher in plastic fibres. To avoid microplastics in salt, choose a high-quality brand of rock salt that was formed before the world was polluted. Pink Himalayan rock salt, said to have been formed 800 million years ago, is free of plastic as long as you choose a high-quality brand that hasn't been adulterated.

Beer

Several studies on US and German beer found microplastics in the final beverage, attributed to the water supply. To avoid this, try to find a beer brewed using filtered water or a water supply known to be low in contaminants.

Honey

A study of 19 different types of honey from Europe and South America concluded that all contained plastic fibres, with the amount varying from 45 to 600 plastic particulates per 1 kg. Fish and seafood also contain microplastics, as most of the microplastic in fish doesn't get ingested but still remains throughout the animal. Eating fish and particular muscles is a significant source of microplastics.

The Bottom Line

Avoiding plastic packaging is an effective way to reduce plastic in the environment and the food supply. While ongoing studies carry on, it's best to minimize the amount of plastic in your diet. Simple steps like changing to non-plastic tea bags and choosing salt and honey brands that are free from microplastics can make a significant difference.