A new study led by researchers at Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto found microplastics particles in 88 percent of protein food samples across 16 types, including seafood, pork, beef, chicken, tofu, and three different plant-based meat alternatives. The study also found no statistical difference in microplastics concentrations between land- and ocean-sourced proteins.
Past research has demonstrated the presence of microplastics in the digestive tracts of commercial fish and shellfish, but there has been little examination of whether these microplastics are entering the filets of fish, or whether plastic particles are present in terrestrial proteins like beef, chicken, or plant-based sources.