Food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched a project to assess microplastic contamination in food products and develop methods for its detection.
Implementation:
Implemented in collaboration with leading research institutions across the country, including the CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (Lucknow), ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (Kochi), and the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (Pilani).
The project - Micro-and Nano-Plastics as Emerging Food Contaminants: Establishing Validated Methodologies and Understanding the Prevalence in Different Food Matrices — was started in March this year.
Aim:
To develop and validate analytical methods for detecting micro and nano-plastics in various food products, as well as assess their prevalence and exposure levels in India.
The primary objectives of the project include:
Developing standard protocols for micro/nano-plastic analysis
Conducting intra- and inter-laboratory comparisons, and
Generating critical data on microplastic exposure levels among consumers.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has identified the presence of microplastics in everyday food products such as sugar and salt.
Although these findings are observed worldwide, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) stresses the importance of gathering data specific to India to assess the impact on public health.
The outcomes of this project will help inform regulatory measures in India and contribute to the global understanding of microplastic contamination in food.
Microplastics
Microplastics are extremely small plastic particles, measuring less than 5 mm in size, and are even smaller than a grain of rice.
Types of Microplastics:
Primary Microplastics: These are deliberately created as small particles for specific commercial uses.
Common sources include cosmetics, nurdles (small plastic pellets used in industrial processes), and fibers from synthetic textiles like nylon.
Secondary Microplastics: These arise from the breakdown of larger plastic items, such as bottles, fishing nets, and plastic bags, due to environmental factors like sunlight, wind, and ocean waves.
Regulations in India Related to Microplastics
Ban on Single-Use Plastics: India has enacted a prohibition on various single-use plastic items to mitigate plastic pollution.
Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016: These rules introduced a detailed framework for managing plastic waste, incorporating the concept of extended producer responsibility (EPR).
Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2018: These amendments strengthened the 2016 regulations, imposing stricter requirements for managing plastic waste and gradually eliminating specific types of plastics.
Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2024: Recent updates to further enhance plastic waste management regulations, with a greater emphasis on reducing microplastic pollution.
This project will help understand the extent of microplastic contamination in Indian food and guide the formulation of effective regulations and safety standards to protect public health. The findings from this project will not only inform the regulatory actions but also contribute to the global understanding of microplastic contamination.
