Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
7. Uluslararası gıda güvenliği kongresi, İstanbul, Türkiye, 3 - 04 Kasım 2022, ss.18-19
Many studies indicate that plastics and micro/nano plastics (MNPs) are generally found in all
environmental compartments in marine and freshwater systems, including sediment, soil,
water column, and surface layers. It turns out that MNPs are everywhere we look. The possible
sources are the breakdown and wear of mismanaged plastic waste, discarded/lost materials,
and textile microfibers. However, in addition to this, the intentionally added MNPs to some
products or the primary production of MNPs also contribute to this pollution at a significant
level. Apart from being a pollutant in the environment, MNPs can also be found in beverages
and foods such as table salt, drinking water, processed seafood, and plastic-packaged food
products. This situation can threaten the whole ecosystem and, therefore, human health. We
have now entered an era where MNPs can be found even in breast milk.
In this context, it is worth noting that apart from being an environmental crisis, MNPs now
create a food safety/security risk and thus threaten society. This makes it necessary to make
some restrictions and legal regulations. Both agencies like the FDA, EFSA, and organizations
such as the UN, FAO, and WHO are more frequently expressing the necessity of introducing
new restrictions and regulations on both plastic and MNPs. However, it should be noted that
despite this, it is still a rather slow-progressing process, and even in countries like Türkiye, this
issue has not yet led to any action, even at a baseline level. This study discusses the current
knowledge on the MNP contamination issue in foods from food safety/ security perspectives.