A groundbreaking initiative has been launched by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to tackle the growing problem of microplastic contamination in the Indian food supply.
On August 18, the project was announced, titled “Micro- and Nano-Plastics as Emerging Food Contaminants: Establishing Validated Methodologies and Understanding the Prevalence in Different Food Matrices.”
It aims to develop and standardize methods for detecting micro- and nanoplastics in food products, as well as assess their prevalence and potential risks to consumers.
The initiative, launched in March, is being run in collaboration with leading research institutions across India, including CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (Lucknow), ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (Kochi) and Birla Institute of Technology and Science (Pilani).
These institutions will work together to develop standardized protocols for the analysis of micro- and nano-plastics, allow for comparisons within and outside the laboratory, and generate critical data on micro-plastic exposure among Indian consumers.
Growing concern about microplastic contamination in food is underlined by a recent report from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which identified microplastics in common food items such as sugar and salt.
