Microplastics in Majority of Meats and Plant-Based Alternatives, Study Finds

A new study has found microplastics in the majority of commonly consumed protein foods such as seafood, pork, chicken, and plant-based meat alternatives in the United States. The findings of the study—conducted by researchers at the nonprofit Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto—were published on Jan. 8 in the journal Environmental Pollution. Researchers analyzed samples taken from 16 different protein types that were destined for consumers in the U.S., 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....