Microplastics in Majority of Meats
A new study has found microplastics in the majority of commonly consumed protein foods such as seafood, pork, chicken, beef, and plant-based meat alternatives in the United States.
Researchers analyzed samples taken from 16 different protein types that were destined for consumers in the United States, including seafood, pork, beef, chicken, tofu, and three different plant-based meat alternatives.
Specifically, they looked at store-purchased breaded shrimp, minced pollock, fish sticks, white Gulf shrimp (headless/shell-on), Key West pink shrimp (headless/shell-on), Alaska Pollock fillets (skinless), chicken nuggets, sirloin steaks, pork loin chops, chicken breasts, plant-based nuggets, plant-based fish sticks, plant-based ground beef, and tofu blocks.
The samples included unprocessed, minimally processed, and highly processed protein types, as well as mostly natural/organic products.
Overall, researchers found microplastics in 88 percent of the protein food samples tested.
Notably, across all samples, nearly half (44 percent) of the identified microplastics were fibers, which researchers said is consistent with other studies suggesting that fibers are the most common form of microplastics in the environment.
‘Prolific Plastic Pollution’
The study also found that highly processed products contained the most microplastics per gram but that there was no statistical difference in microplastic concentrations between land- and ocean-sourced proteins.
“No statistical difference was found between high-processed products and fresh-caught products, suggesting that food processing is not the only source of microplastic contamination and opening avenues for further research,” the study authors wrote.
Integrating the results of this study with survey data from separate, upcoming findings by Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto, researchers estimate that an average American adult consumes, on average, 11,500 microplastics per year.
However, they note that maximum exposure could reach up to 3.8 million microplastics per year if calculated using the highest levels of microplastics found in each protein type and the average reported protein consumption rates.
“This is a startling reminder of just how prolific plastic pollution has become. Humans live on land and yet seafood samples are just as likely to be contaminated with plastics as are terrestrial-derived proteins,” said study co-author Dr. Britta Baechler, a marine biologist and associate director of plastics science at Ocean Conservancy.
“There’s no escaping them no matter what you eat, it seems. The plastic pollution crisis is impacting all of us, and we need to take action to address its many forms,” Dr. Baechler said.
What Are Microplastics?
Microplastics are extremely small plastic particles composed of mixtures of polymers and functional additives measuring less than five millimeters in size.
They are generally unintentionally released into the environment because of the disposal and breakdown of larger consumer products or industrial waste.
Despite their findings, researchers said they could not draw conclusions regarding the impact of direct consumption of the microplastics identified in the protein products they tested, adding that future investigative work is needed.
Researchers added that further studies should also probe additional foods that are commonly consumed in the United States including dairy, grains, and vegetables.
“It’s tempting to want to draw conclusions like ‘eat less of this and more of that’ to avoid microplastics in your diet but right now we still know very little about the microplastic burdens in commonly consumed foods,” said the Ocean Conservancy’s study’s primary co-author Madeleine Milne.
“Our study adds to this knowledge but also demonstrates the need for further research to better understand the bigger picture, including where these microplastics are coming from and the potential human health risks.”
Source: Epoch Times
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Tom
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But you’ll never see plastic McCricket burgers.
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Cloudbuster
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Every “scary” article I read about microplastics contains some form of this paragraph:
“Despite their findings, researchers said they could not draw conclusions regarding the impact of direct consumption of the microplastics identified in the protein products they tested, adding that future investigative work is needed.”
They seem intent on “panic first, evidence later.” They have no proof that the microplastics are causing meaningful harm, but they sure want people to be scared of them.
And when they do find some proof of harm, it will be completely decontextualized. Just as a made-up example: “Microplastics lower sperm counts!” But then if you look into it, the microplastics don’t lower sperm counts more than any number of ordinary foods people already eat.
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Wisenox
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The microplastics aren’t the only concern. I just read an article about pthalates a couple days ago. Pthalates are toxic, and they seep out of products. I used to use butyl gloves in research, and the pthalaes would form a greasy film when sitting in storage.
Anti-helminth/parasite soil treatments are another problem. Most of the chemicals used induce health problems, and a large portion of those involve the brain.
Then there’s the chitin threat. They pack the hexagons of chitosan with nanoparticles, then acetylate it to become chitin. When exposed to a de-acetylizer in the body, the packets are released.
Then there’s the chimeric nutrients, formed from genetically modified organisms. They aren’t natural and do not function as natural. You can’t patent nature, so they take healthy nutrients and mutilate them. Then they can patent it and tell you its healthy.
The nutrient profile reads great, but the body can’t use them, and if it does it invariably leads to illness.
The GMO patent laws also apply to humans. They specify that you cannot patent a ‘naturally occurring’ human, which you aren’t if any vaccines altered you.
We’re just getting started with untrustworthy foods. The food is purposely a ‘mess’. They could easily correct the problems, but that wouldn’t work with their slavery agenda.
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Egil Enaasen
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Is the story of micro plastics the new scare?? Has anybody checked out the natural occurrence of microplastic?
The Earth have had hydrocarbons some billions of years and that it is formed in the “Deep Hot Biosphere” (quoting the title of a book by the author Thomas Gold). Some are saying that oil is the second most abundant fluid on Earth and that it is abundant on planets and moons in The Solar System. For instance on Titan – the largest moon of Saturn, which has a sea of methane on its surface.
Other tell me that plastic, including microplastic, therefore is formed naturally in chemical reactions in volcanoes and hydrothermal vents and therefore should be abundant in nature.
Egil Enaasen
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Carbon Bigfoot
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Microplastics are a pass-thru since they are inert. The plasticizer on the other hand probably doesn’t but in the minute quantities I don’t they are an issue. On your other comment about parasite treatments show me the studies. My good friend and colleague, epidemiologist Steve Milloy has a saying……show me the bodies….and the Death Certificates.
Swiss Scientist Paracelsus said…. “The dose makes the poison” is an adage intended to indicate a basic principle of toxicology. It is credited to Paracelsus who expressed the classic toxicology maxim “All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; the dosage alone makes it so a thing is not a poison.” This is often condensed to: “The dose makes the poison” or in Latin, “Sola dosis facit venenum”. He also said that the body was a chemical system capable of balance.
George Carlin said….See, I’m not one of these people who’s worried about everything. You got people like this around you? Countries full of them now: people walking around all day long, every minute of the day, worried… about everything! Worried about the air; worried about the water; worried about the soil; worried about insecticides, pesticides, food additives, carcinogens; worried about radon gas; worried about asbestos; worried about saving endangered species. Watch the video…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W33HRc1A6c.
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