Microplastics found in the most popular breakfast product
Microplastics are ubiquitous in modern life, and there is evidence that it has penetrated into everything from the cosmetics we use to the clothes we wear and the air we breathe
That’s why it’s probably not surprising that highly processed foods like instant ramen are notable sources of microplastics loss. But what about products derived from nature?
A new scientific review shows that even whole foods like eggs and honey are not immune to microplastics. Studies show that plastic builds up inside us and causes toxicity – from damage to the heart, blood vessels and bones to suppressing our immune system and disrupting hormonal levels.
Before you grab your morning tea and omelet, here’s what researchers found out about two favorite breakfast dishes. The average American eats more than 270 eggs a year, or one egg about every day and a half. Most adults in the U.S. prefer to eat them separately (e.g., as scrambled eggs), in omelets or egg sandwiches. Most likely, they have microplastics, according to a new review, citing a study conducted in 2022.
For this study, the researchers opened raw eggs right in the grocery store and found about 12 microplastics particles in the yolk and egg white.
Most foods get contaminated with tiny pieces of plastic due to packaging and handling them on the way to you. Interestingly, these microplastic particles were found inside the most natural containers in the world. The researchers speculate that the pieces got there because the chicken food or water was contaminated, was eaten by the laying chicken and got into the egg. This has not been established, so it is only a theory, the authors emphasize.
Researchers have found that when cooking, microplastics do not disappear. Microplastics are mainly polyethylene, the most common plastic in the world. It is often seen in single-use plastic products such as shopping bags and bottles.
The study was conducted in China, so it’s unclear whether its findings apply to American eggs.
Americans also love honey – they eat about a kilogram per person per year. The review highlights four honey studies, the results of which are radically different. In a 2013 study, researchers found no more than 698 microplastics per kilogram, or about 15 particles per tablespoon of honey.
Two other studies have shown that microplastics contamination comes from flowers, while in the last of four studies, the concentration of microplastics was significantly lower.
One study found that most of the particles found in honey were non-plastic and found few signs of contamination.
The conflicting findings raise questions about how many particles in other studies, particularly in a 2013 study, were actually plastic. The authors of the new review say the microscopes used in this study alone are not enough to distinguish microplastics from other debris.
However, the authors of the review argue that eggs and honey are just some of the many animal products that have not received enough attention in the discussion of microplastics.
Many previous studies have focused on seafood, according to the New York Post. But other staple foods, such as dairy and sausage, also show signs of microplastics contamination.
The authors suggest that these recent findings support the need to develop better ways to assess the prevalence of microplastics in foods and more “agreed” standards for determining tolerances.
