All salt and sugar brands in India contain microplastics: Report

All Indian salt and sugar brands, packaged or unpackaged, contain microplastics, according to a study published by environmental research organisation Toxics Link on Tuesday.

Microplastics are commonly defined as solid plastic particles or synthetic fibres of the size between 1 µm and 5,000 µm, or micrometres. They are composed of various polymer types, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, that can pose distinct environmental and health challenges.

These minuscule particles can enter the human body via ingestion, inhalation and direct skin contact. Since they are found nearly everywhere, microplastics often accumulate, break down and eventually integrate into the food chain, posing a significant threat to living beings.

Food items are a major route of entry for microplastics, with salt being the primary contributor, followed by fruits and vegetables, Toxics Link said on Tuesday, citing a recent study.

In their report, Microplastics in Salt and Sugar, the organisation said that the highest concentration of microplastics was found in a branded iodised packaged salt sample.

It said the researchers conducted lab tests on ten varieties of commonly used salts, including table salt, rock salt, sea salt and local raw salt, and five sugar samples purchased online and from local markets.

Except for two salt samples and one sugar sample, all others were branded.

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