PROJECT TO TACKLE MICROPLASTICS (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Health & Nutrition)

Context: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched a project to tackle microplastic contamination in food and develop methods to detect it.

Project to Tackle Microplastics

• About: The project focuses on micro-and nano-plastics as emerging food contaminants, aiming to establish validated methodologies and assess their prevalence in different food matrices.
• Objectives:

o Develop and validate analytical methods for detecting micro and nano-plastics in various food products.

o Establish standard protocols for micro/nano-plastic analysis across laboratories.

o Conduct intra- and inter-laboratory comparisons to ensure consistency and reliability.

• Data Generation and Exposure Assessment:

o Generate critical data on microplastic exposure levels among consumers in India.

o Assess the prevalence of micro and nano-plastics in different food products, contributing to a better understanding of exposure levels.

• Collaborative Effort: The study is being conducted in collaboration with leading research institutions in India, including the CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (Lucknow), ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (Kochi), and Birla Institute of Technology and Science (Pilani).
• Significance:

o The project aligns with concerns raised by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) regarding the presence of microplastics in common food items like sugar and salt.

o Findings from this project will help determine the extent of microplastic contamination in Indian food, guiding the formulation of effective regulations and safety standards to protect public health.

Microplastics

• About: These are minute fragments of diverse plastic materials present in the surroundings.
• These minute plastic particles pose a threat to marine environments and the creatures that inhabit them.