Food safety authorities in India have initiated a groundbreaking project to address the escalating worldwide issue of microplastic contamination in food. This initiative comes in response to a report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) that pointed out the presence of microplastics in commonly consumed food items, particularly sugar and salt.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched this new project acknowledging the global spread of microplastics in food, as highlighted by the FAO. It also underscores the necessity for more comprehensive data to fully grasp the implications of the FAO's warning on human health and safety within an Indian context, according to a press release from the Indian government.
The project, titled 'Micro-Plastics and Nano-Plastics as Emerging Food Contaminants: Establishing Validated Methodologies and Understanding the Prevalence in Different Food Matrices', aims to create standard protocols for the analysis of micro and nano-plastics, perform inter-laboratory comparisons, and gather crucial data on microplastic exposure levels among consumers. The outcomes of this project will aid in limiting the extent of microplastic contamination in food imports into India and the export of Indian food products. It will result in the development of effective regulations and safety standards to safeguard public health.
The FSSAI stated, "The findings will contribute to the global understanding of microplastic contamination, making Indian research a vital component of the global effort to combat this environmental challenge."
