The 10 foods rich in carcinogenic microplastics… and ‘the easy alternatives’ to avoid them

An expert has revealed 10 of them foods that contain many microplasticsand “the easy swaps” that let you avoid them.

Microplastics are small pieces of plastic less than five millimeters long, or smaller than a pencil eraser, that have been linked to cancerDNA damage, cellular damage and other health problems.

Although most food and drinks stored in plastic containers contain small particles, some products contain higher concentrations of microplastics.

Business owner and anti-plastic advocate ‘Beatrice the Anti-Plastic Lady’ shared 10 commonly consumed foods and drinks high in microplastics, revealing alternatives that are safer and healthier.

While seafood has long been known to contain microplastics, she highlighted little-known culprits, such as specific salts and bags of baby puree.

Beer also made her top 10 list as the drink was re-filled in several plastic pots.

Beatrice suggested choosing beer that is more filtered or stored in glass rather than canned.

In general, highly processed foods contain more microplastics than minimally processed alternatives, such as frozen chicken nuggets versus a whole chicken breast.

That’s because the more a product is processed, the more it comes into contact with plastic food processing equipment, creating more opportunities for contamination.

And it’s not surprising that plastic-wrapped foods often contain more microplastics, especially if they are heated in the package.

As the packaging deteriorates over time or is exposed to heat, material ‘leaches’ into the food.

But these are not the only products that can contain large amounts of plastic particles.

Beatrice mentioned them in a video on her TikTok (@antiplasticlady), where she posts educational videos about the dangers of plastic pollution and tips to live a more plastic-free lifestyle.

“In recent years, scientists have linked these microplastics to many highly toxic effects on your body, including multiple different types of cancer, accelerated cognitive decline, and a generally disrupted gut microbiome,” she added.

1. Seafood

“The amount of microplastics in the ocean is doubling every six years, and it all ends up in our seafood,” says Beatrice.

Clams, mussels, crabs and almost all types of fish are some examples of seafood that contain “very high amounts” of microplastics, she explained.

One study even estimated that people who eat large amounts of shellfish ingest approximately 11,000 microplastic particles each year.

Unfortunately, Beatrice said seafood is one of the few things on her list that she can’t easily trade for.

“Maybe you should just cut back on your consumption and try to avoid highly processed fish when you eat seafood,” she advised.

2. Salt

‘Unprocessed sea salt contains a lot of microplastics,’ says Beatrice.

Interestingly, researchers have found that conventional table salt in the US actually contains significantly lower amounts of microplastics than more processed salts, such as those used in Asian countries, she explained.

That’s because unrefined salts contain plastic pollution from the oceans from which they are harvested, and in this case the processing actually works to remove many of those microplastics.

She noted that pink Himalayan sea salt, popular for its high mineral content and “health benefits,” is particularly high in microplastics due to the mining methods used to extract it.

Highly processed American table salt is therefore the safest option when it comes to microplastic pollution, Beatrice concluded.

3. Processed conventional dairy

With the exception of salt, “The further food is from its original source, the more it comes into contact with plastic,” Beatrice said.

Studies have shown that highly processed dairy products such as cheese powder and conventional milk contain far more microplastics than minimally processed alternatives.

‘Try to get dairy products that are much less processed. This would be the same as locally produced organic milk, if possible, in addition to raw cheese,” she said.

However, it is important to note that “raw” or unpasteurized dairy products carry their own health risks.

Eating them can expose you to harmful, sometimes fatal germs such as E.coli, Salmonella and Listeria.

4. Pouches for pureed food

These grab-and-go snacks are popular among young children, but the bags leach microplastics into the pureed fruit and vegetables they contain.

‘Heat exponentially increases the amount of toxic chemicals and microplastics that end up in that food. And guess what? Those plastic baby food bags are all pasteurized and heated in those plastic bags,” Beatrice said.

“There have now been multiple studies that have found many microplastics and adhesive chemicals, multiple bisphenols and phthalates, that exceed the threshold of toxicological concern,” she added.

Her recommendation is to throw away the bags and give children as many fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables as possible.

5. Food in retort foil pouches

These foods, such as tuna, lentil or bean pouches, are cooked in the retort foil pouches they are sold in, similar to the baby food pouches, Beatrice said.

Her advice is: ‘Avoid. Get dried beans and lentils, cook them yourself and limit the tuna.’

6. Tea in nylon bags

Nylon tea bags release tons of microplastics into your hot cup of tea, Beatrice explains.

One study found that soaking a nylon mesh tea bag in 200°F water released approximately 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics – even smaller plastic particles – in a cup of tea.

Nanoplastics are 150 times smaller than a hair, and research shows that they are small enough to enter human cells.

“Try to get loose tea instead and use a reusable stainless steel strainer, or just use tea in those paper bags,” Beatrice said.

7. Processed meat

Researchers tested the microplastic content in various meat products in US supermarkets and found that highly processed products contained the most microplastics per gram.

These include foods such as breaded shrimp, chicken nuggets and vegetable protein nuggets.

All proteins tested contained microplastics, Beatrice explained, but the more a product was processed, the more plastic pollution it had.

“Try to get products that have only been minimally processed,” she advised.

8. Seaweed

“This is similar to the concept of how polluted our oceans are,” Beatrice said.

Microplastics become stuck on the surface of seaweed and stick to the small crevices and fibers. One study found that conventional washing methods are ineffective at removing most microplastics from seaweed.

Seaweed is eaten all over the world, but is a staple of Asian diets. The same study showed that Chinese people consume more than 17,000 microplastics per person per year through the consumption of seaweed alone.

That represents 13 percent of their total annual microplastic intake.

Like seafood, there is no clear trade-off for this food, Beatrice said.

‘Try to reduce your seaweed consumption. Sorry,” she advised.

9. Honey

Researchers tested honey from around the world for microplastics and found that this key ingredient is widely contaminated.

In this case, the microplastic pollution does not come from processing, but from the bees themselves.

When honey bees search for pollen in polluted environments, they pick up plastic particles that ultimately end up in the honey.

This is likely why one study found that honey made in urban environments contained far more microplastics than honey made in rural environments.

“Try to buy one that comes from a more rural area, don’t get city honey,” Beatrice said.

10. Beer

“Beer processing involves brewing hops with hot liquid… Often they use many different plastic materials to brew the beer,” Beatrice said.

Multiple studies have found microplastics in numerous types of beer, including twelve different American brands made with Great Lakes water.

But the level of microplastics is “not actually correlated with the amount of microplastics in the water supply they use,” Beatrice explains.

Like table salt, research found that some of the larger, highly processed brands contained fewer microplastics due to the amount of filtration the beer underwent after it was brewed, she said.

Other studies have shown that German beers contain particularly high amounts of microplastics.

“Try to get one in a glass bottle, but a can in a can certainly won’t help,” Beatrice said. ‘And if you go for one of the bigger brands, or try going for a brand that is better filtered when you drink beer.’