Synthetic polymers appeared at the end of the 19th century, around the 1860s, but it was only after the Second World War that the “plastic boom” really began, classifying this material as one of the most widespread since its beginnings as a resin phenol-formaldehyde. Initially conceived to improve human living conditions, plastic has now become a real threat to the environment and to the safety of the planet and all those who live on it.
Microplastics in food: the risk of food contamination
Just think of the coffee that, in recent years, has been served to us in paper cups: apparently a green choice but which in most cases features a mixed packaging of paper and plastic which often leads to the release of harmful chemical substances and microplastics and can therefore harm living organisms if it ends up in nature. In fact, disposable containers have always had the flaw of being covered with a thin layer of waterproofing plastic which has revealed itself over time as a potentially high risk for the environment.
Plastic is present in all ecosystems of the environment
Currently, plastic is present in all ecosystems of the environment (air, water and soil), especially due to the widespread use of food packaging on the market – for products such as dairy products, meat, fish or drinks, including mineral water – which is mostly made of plastic or in the mixed format of paper and plastic.
Contact between food and packaging is almost always the cause of mutual transfers between container and contents. The quality of food products is, therefore, influenced by the interaction with the substances present in the composition of the packaging, which sometimes determines the alteration of the nutritional qualities and the impact on the safety of consumption.
The presence of microplastics has been detected in soil ecosystems, clouds, surface waters, coastal sediments, beach sands, freshwater sediments and even in our blood. Rain and snow contain a significant number of microplastics, sometimes invisible to the naked eye. The intense diffusion of plastic associated with the poor performance of waste management systems, including end-of-life collection and capture, has led to a massive accumulation of plastic waste in the environment with an effective recycling rate of only 10%.
food chains suffer serious contamination
In this scenario, food chains suffer severe contamination due to emissions of hydrophobic organic chemicals. Water represents one of the main vehicles for chronic exposure to microplastics because it is consumed daily and is undoubtedly the most important source of these components in our diet; water is used, for example, in considerable quantities during the preparation of dishes, cleaning and sanitizing food processing plants. Such particles can enter drinking water sources in a variety of ways: from surface runoff (e.g. after a rainfall event) to wastewater effluent, combined sewer system overflows, industrial effluents, degraded plastic waste and atmospheric deposition (WHO 2019). Plastic bottles and caps used in bottled water can also be sources of microplastics in drinking water. Although it can be hypothesized that the source of contamination for some products, such as beer or soft drinks, is water; for others, contamination may occur through the environment, other constituent components, manufacturing processes, or packaging materials.
How much plastic do we eat?
According to a study by the University of Newcastle, every week we ingest up to 2,000 small fragments, equivalent to about 5 grams, the weight of a credit card; annually, the average intake is over 250 grams. Most of these particles, which measure less than 5 millimeters, are absorbed through the water we consume, whether from bottles or taps.
Although products from the fishing sector appear to be among the most contaminated, table salt (detected in 18 studies), milk, honey, rice, sugar, fruit and vegetables, various drinks and even beer, often packaged in glass bottles or aluminum cans. The source of contamination in fish, molluscs and crustaceans is clearly identified as coming from the sea. On the contrary, the origin of the microplastics found in other products is less defined, even if – as we said before – it is suspected that it may mainly derive from packaging films and packaging. This is a dramatic situation for human health and that of the planet.
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg demonstrated this in a study testing the effect of disposable cups made from different materials on mosquito larvae. The results demonstrated that poorly managed waste has the ability to negatively impact aquatic biota. Gallo et al. (2018) highlighted that the environmental impacts and economic costs of plastic production and consumption, combined with waste, will worsen in the short term if preventive measures are not taken immediately
Furthermore, research by the University of Amsterdam on the relationship between blood and microplastics revealed that microplastics of various types were identified in 17 of the 22 volunteers subjected to examination, with an average concentration of 1.6 micrograms per milliliter. The most frequent polymer was found to be polyethylene terephthalate (or PET, used for example for the production of bottles), detected in half of the positive participants. Followed by polystyrene (36%), polyethylene (23%) and polymethyl methacrylate (5%).
The impact on people’s health
According to the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS), the impacts of microplastics on humans can manifest themselves through physical, chemical or microbiological risks. From a physical point of view, microplastics[9] and nanoplastics can overcome biological barriers, such as the intestinal, blood-brain, testicular and even placenta, causing direct damage, especially to the respiratory and digestive systems, which are the first to come into contact with microplastics.
Chemical risks, however, come from the presence of contaminants such as plasticizers (phthalates, bisphenol A) or persistent contaminants (brominated flame retardants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls) in microplastics. Many of these contaminants, as endocrine disruptors, can cause damage to the endocrine system, cause problems in the reproductive sphere and in metabolism, both in the children of parents exposed to microplastics during pregnancy and in adulthood following exposure in the initial stages of life (neonatal, childhood, puberty).
Furthermore, microplastics can act as vehicles for pathogenic microorganisms which, by adhering to their surface, can cause diseases. Bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia have been identified on microplastics collected off the coast of Belgium.
The regulatory scenario, the debate between recycling and reuse and the rebirth of paper
In this scenario the debate between recycling and reuse takes on a central role. Let’s start with a fact: although the recycling theory seems to be a promising and effective solution, in reality only 10% of plastic is recycled, also due to the thousands of polymers and chemical substances, which make the process very complex.
From a regulatory point of view, Directive 94/62/EC (PPWD – Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive) summarizes the ambition of a sustainable and circular economic model. In its first version of 2015, the Commission set objectives for the prevention and reduction of packaging waste for recycling and reuse purposes. However, despite the intentions, an update of the legislation is necessary. Almost ten years later, the Directive has not been able to address the growing environmental impact of packaging: packaging continues, in fact, to be poorly recyclable and made with too little recycled material.
Furthermore, there are also large differences in the way the Directive is transposed by individual member states; To harmonize implementation on the continent, the Commission proposed in November 2022 a revision of the Directive and its transformation into a Regulation (PPWR – Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation). Although the new legislation represents a significant step forward, it is not yet sufficient to achieve significant objectives in terms of plastic reduction within a few years.
Can reusable packaging be a sustainable solution?
Reusable packaging can be a sustainable solution, in its environmental, social and economic dimensions, only for some very specific fields of application, i.e. in closed and structured contexts where it is possible to centralize and monitor the management of returns and create efficient washing systems. Examples in this sense are public buildings, airports or school canteens.
According to EPPA (European Paper Packaging Alliance) the transition to reusable packaging would risk increasing the socio-environmental impacts of catering, creating contamination risks for end users. To avoid this, greater consumption of materials and extraction of resources is necessary to create products suitable for reuse; an increase in water consumption for washing; high compliance costs for small businesses, creating entry barriers that limit the European restaurant offer and consumer experience.
For this reason, a rapid investigation by EFSA and regulatory intervention would be desirable to protect consumers from the risk of the release of microplastics in plastic food packaging.
In addition to undertaking actions to prevent and reduce non-recyclable waste, harmonize management and procedures in Member States and tools aimed at stimulating demand for materials to develop recycling chains – it is crucial to invest in technological solutions and alternative materials and adaptable to the individual context. A study commissioned by EPPA found that paper-based single-use packaging generates, for example, 2.8 times fewer CO2 emissions and uses 3.4 times less water in fast-food and small restaurants than a reusable alternative in plastic.
Disposable paper packaging
Disposable paper packaging, functionalized with a Silica-based mineral coating and perfectly recyclable, can be an excellent alternative to disposable and multi-use plastic, from the point of view of environmental performance throughout the entire life cycle, safety and hygiene for consumers and costs for the system[13]. The silica-based mineral coating functionalises paper packaging (FSC®, PEFC®) and makes it resistant to humidity, grease, gas and temperature. A product that does not alter the recyclability of its support, free of plastic – which prevents the release of harmful chemical substances and microplastics as can occur in other types of packaging – and is therefore safe for the consumer.
READ ALSO: Your house is full of PFAS and you need to start worrying
Article by Emiliano Caradonna, CEO of Qwarzo. | Photo by Jas Min / Naja Bertolt Jensen / Nareeta Martin
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2024-01-05 13:50:04
#Microplastics #food #risk #food #contamination
