Plastic in all Brands of Salt and Sugar: You are consuming microscopic plastic particles along with salt and sugar, no matter which brand of salt and sugar is sold in India. This shocking revelation has come from the report of a study titled ‘Microplastics in Salt and Sugar’ conducted by environmental research organization ‘Toxics Link’.
Everyone is surprised and worried after seeing the report of the study published on Tuesday.
According to the study, all the brands of salt and sugar sold in the Indian market have Plastic Microplastics have been found present in the salt and sugar. It does not matter whether your salt and sugar are from a big brand or a small brand.
Even if these food items are packaged or sold in the open, microscopic plastic particles have been found in them. A report claiming this was published on Tuesday, over which people have expressed concern.
A study titled ‘Microplastics in Salt and Sugar’ conducted by environmental research organisation Toxics Link has revealed that plastic particles are present in every brand of salt and sugar.
Before arriving at this conclusion, the organization has done an in-depth study of 10 types of salt, including table salt, rock salt, sea salt and local raw salt. Apart from salt, the organization has also tested five types of sugar purchased online and from local markets, in which it has been concluded that all of them contain microscopic plastic particles.
The report of the study conducted by the Environmental Research Organization shows that microplastics are present in all the samples of salt and sugar. These have been found in various forms including fibers, pellets, films and pieces. According to the report, the size of microplastics ranged from 0.1 millimeters to five mm. According to the study, the highest amount of microplastics has been found in the form of multicolored thin fibers and films in iodized salt.
Speaking about this report, Ravi Agarwal, Founder and Director of Toxics Link, said, ‘The aim of this study was to add to the existing scientific database on microplastics so that the global plastic treaty can find a concrete and centralised solution to this issue.’
Satish Sinha, Associate Director of Toxics Link, says, ‘In this study, a significant amount of microplastics was found in all the samples of salt and sugar, which is a matter of concern.
There is an urgent need for extensive research on the long-term effects of microplastics on human health.’ According to the report, the concentration of microplastics in salt samples ranged from 6.71 to 89.15 pieces per kilogram. The highest concentration of 89.15 pieces per kilogram was found in iodine-enriched salt.
Whereas organic rock salt had the lowest concentration of 6.70 pieces per kilogram. Similarly, the concentration of microplastics in sugar samples ranged from 11.85 to 68.25 pieces per kilogram, with the highest concentration found in non-organic sugar. Let us tell you here that microplastics are a growing global concern, which can cause harm to both health and the environment.
