A Taiwanese study revealed that heating common food packaging could release hundreds of millions of potentially carcinogenic microplastic particles, raising troubling questions about food safety standards.
National Taiwan University professor of occupational medicine Cheng Tsun-jen (鄭尊仁) on Thursday said that he launched the research as the head of a Taiwanese team to confirm a recent study in Canada suggesting that heat could trigger the release of minute plastic particles.
The observation is concerning, as plasticine products are widely found in various food containers and lining materials, he said.
Photo: Lo Chi, Taipei Times
The team was able to confirm that commonly utilized plastic vessels emit nanoscopic plastic particles after being heated, and that tube-feeding these substances to lab mice causes cancer, Cheng said.
Examination of the mice showed that the microplastics can spread to organs throughout the body, resulting in changes in gut microbiota, oxidative stress and inflammation, he said.
Microplastics in the liver were linked to changes to enzymatic changes, an increase in sugar and triglyceride levels, and liver diseases including fibrosis and tumors, Cheng said.
Researchers also observed changes in the synapses of the central nervous systems of older mice that had been fed microplastics, he said.
The findings suggest that plastic particles could have a negative health impact on humans, but more evidence is needed to confirm the hypothesis, Cheng said.
The team discovered traces of microplastics in the feces of all 50 young Taiwanese volunteers in the study, showing that ingestion of the substance is widespread, he said.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences director Chen Pau-chung (陳保中) said the study has increased the uncertainty in an already murky area for public health.
There is no reliable definition for single-use and reusable plastics, or guidance on their safe utilization, he said, adding that the public is urged to minimize exposure to such products as much as possible.
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