The FAO and WHO are actively researching the impact of microplastics on food safety, human health and agricultural practices, highlighting the need for better management and understanding of plastic pollution in food systems. A number of relevant reports have been developed:
- FAO Report: “Microplastics in Food Commodities: A Food Safety Review on Human Exposure Through Dietary Sources”. This report outlines the existing literature on the occurrence of microplastics and their associated contaminants in foods. It estimates the dietary exposure of consumers to these materials, highlights some knowledge gaps with respect to their relevance to public health, and offers some recommendations for future work on microplastic particles to support food safety governance.
- WHO Report: “Dietary and inhalation exposure to nano- and microplastic particles and potential implications for human health”. This report considered the exposure from the environment, including exposure via food, water and air. The WHO assessed the risks to human health from exposure to microplastic particles from the environment, and identified research needs and defined the scope of future work needed on microplastic particles to address current uncertainties.
- FAO Report: “The impact of microplastics on the gut microbiome and health – A food safety perspective”. This report noted that the number of available studies evaluating the impacts of microplastics on the gut microbiota is limited and recommended further research is required to understand if and how microplastic exposure or co-exposure with other chemicals affects the host and the gut microbiome.
