And now, a recent peer-reviewed study published in the journal NPJ Science of Food says they're swirling around in our milk too.
Researchers from Italy's University of Padua shared their findings after analysing microplastics in dairy products, including milk, fresh cheese, and ripened cheese. The team examined 28 retail samples, including cartons of milk, 10 fresh cheeses aged less than one month, and 14 ripened cheeses aged more than four months.
They found microplastics particles in 26 out of 28 products tested, most often identifying polyethylene terephthalate, also known as PET, a plastic commonly used in food packaging and plastic bottles, along with polyethylene, the most widely used plastic, and polypropylene, a thermoplastic polymer also frequently used in food packaging.
