People in the US consume between an estimated 39,000 and 52,000 microplastic particles every year. This can come from items in our kitchens, takeout containers or even the food we eat. However, certain foods are more likely than others to contain microplastics. To learn more about which foods we should keep an eye on, how microplastics affect our health and how to avoid them, we consulted a family physician and did our research.
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How many microplastics are too many?
"There is no officially established 'safe' or 'unsafe' level of microplastic intake. It makes sense to want your exposure to be as low as possible," Dr. Joseph Mercola, a board-certified family medicine osteopathic physician, said in an email.
Microplastics can enter our food because of contamination where the food was grown, raised or processed. Mercola explained that using plastic mulch and plastic seed coatings in agriculture, and irrigation with contaminated water, are among the various ways microplastics can end up in food. Plastic packaging, utensils and containers are additional sources.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration, current evidence doesn't suggest that the levels of microplastics in food are a risk to us. However, you still might want to minimize how much microplastics you passively consume. These are the most common foods that contain microplastics, and the measures you can adopt to reduce your plastic intake.
Top 8 foods in your diet that contain microplastics
1. Seafood
One of the most significant ways plastic particles end up in our food is through single-use plastics that break down and find their way into waterways and soil. When they reach the oceans, they end up in our seafood.
"Microplastics are then taken up by plankton and mistaken for food by fish and shellfish," Mercola said. "The tiny particles accumulate in the flesh ... then end up on our plates."
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