Assessing the inconsistency of microplastic measurements in foods and beverages

Abstract

The widespread occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in the food chain has gained substantial recognition as a pressing concern, highlighting the inevitability of human exposure through ingestion of foodborne MPs, coupled with the release of MPs from plastic packaging. However, there are notable disparities in the reported numbers of MPs in foods and beverages, warranting a thorough investigation into the factors contributing to these discrepancies. Table salt is one of the major sources of MPs, and there was an approximately hundred-fold difference between the reviewed studies that reported the highest and lowest number of MPs. In addition, more noticeable discrepancies were discovered between studies on MPs released from teabags. One study reported that approximately 15 billion MPs were rele