FSSAI launches project to tackle microplastic contamination in food

Food regulator FSSAI has launched a project to assess microplastic contamination in food products and develop methods for its detection.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched an innovative project to tackle the growing concern of microplastic contamination in food, recognising microplastic pollution as an emerging threat that requires immediate attention.

According to an official statement, the project -- Micro-and Nano-Plastics as Emerging Food Contaminants: Establishing Validated Methodologies and Understanding the Prevalence in Different Food Matrices -- was started in March this year.

The aim is to develop and validate analytical methods for detecting micro and nano-plastics in various food products, as well as assess their prevalence and exposure levels in India.

"The primary objectives of the project include developing standard protocols for micro/nano-plastic analysis, conducting intra- and inter-laboratory comparisons, and generating critical