A new study led by Ocean Conservancy and University of Toronto found that microplastic particles were present in 88% of food samples tested, drawn from 16 protein types including plant-based meat.

The samples tested included traditional meat sources including seafood, pork, beef and chicken, as well as tofu and three different plant-based meat alternatives.

In the study, microplastics were found across all 16 of the protein types tested, suggesting that humans are likely eating microplastics no matter the source of protein they choose to consume. Furthermore, there were no statistical differences in microplastic concentrations between land- and ocean-sourced proteins.

While scientists have long documented the presence of microplastics in the digestive tracts of commercial fish and shellfish, there has been little research into whether the particles are entering the filets of the fish – the parts actually eaten by consumers. Little research has also been conducted into their presence in terrestrial protein sources such as beef and chicken.

The study’s co-author Britta Baechler, a marine biologist and associate director of plastics science at Ocean Conservancy, said that the research serves as a “startling reminder of how prolific plastic pollution has become,” adding: “Humans live on land and yet seafood samples are just as likely to be contaminated with plastics as are terrestrial derived proteins”.

The research, published in the journal Environmental Pollution, found that food processing is a likely source of microplastic contamination. Highly-processed protein products tested – including fish sticks, chicken nuggets, tofu and plant-based burgers – contained significantly more microplastics per gram than minimally processed products.

However, 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.

Primary co-author Madeleine Milne, who conducted the research while at the Rochman Lab at the University of Toronto in 2022, commented: “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”.

She added: “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”.

Notably, across all samples, nearly half (44%) of the identified microplastics were fibres, which is consistent with other studies suggesting that fibres are the most prevalent form of microplastic in the environment. Around a third (30%) were plastic fragments.

Using survey data from a separate study by Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto (to be published in Frontiers in Marine Science) the authors estimate that an American adult will consume, on average, 11,500 microplastics per year.

Annual exposure could be as high as 3.8 million microplastics per year if calculated using the highest levels of microplastics found in each individual protein type and the average reported protein consumption rates.

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