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Research feature: Microplastics from food packaging – what the evidence shows
19 November 2025
Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are tiny plastic particles formed through the breakdown or wear of larger plastic materials, now recognised as emerging contaminants in the environment and food chain. Their potential presence in food – through packaging, processing, or utensils – has raised growing concern about human exposure and health implications.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has released a 2025 technical report (1) reviewing recent evidence on the release of MNPs from food contact materials (FCMs) such as bottles, cups, and packaging. The review looked at 1,711 studies published between 2015 and early 2025 and examined 122 of them in detail. Studies of pre-packaged foods were almost entirely limited to bottled water, and these illustrate that few, if any, studies have followed the whole food chain to determine at which point MNP may be entering.
The facts so far
EFSA found that:
- Microplastics are released from some FCMs during normal use, mainly through mechanical stress such as friction, abrasion, or wear of fibrous materials (e.g. tea bags).
- Nanoplastic data are almost absent. Current analytical methods are not sensitive or reliable enough to detect such small particles.
- Quantities are uncertain. Many studies likely overestimate release due to methodological weaknesses including contamination during test preparation.
- Water-based tests dominate. Most experiments used pure water rather than realistic food simulations, limiting how well results reflect real-world conditions.
- Cross-contamination is common. Dust, additives, and precipitated chemicals (such as fatty acids or oligomers) were often mistaken for plastic particles.
Plastic in your cuppa?
Tea bags came under close scrutiny in EFSA’s review with 15 papers assessed – for good reason. Many modern tea bags are made from fine plastic fibres such as nylon or PET, which can shed tiny fragments when dunked in hot water and squeezed. Some studies found surprisingly high numbers of microplastic particles, but EFSA says those results may be exaggerated because of testing quirks or mix-ups with other substances. The bottom line? A few particles can be released from plastic-based tea bags, but the real amounts – and any health impact – are still unclear.
Plenty of studies, few clear answers
Most research has focused on common plastics such as PET, polyethylene, and polypropylene. Despite all the studies, EFSA says there’s still no solid way to measure exactly how much micro- or nanoplastics we’re actually exposed to from our food packaging. While microplastics can be released it is likely not much. The bottom line is we just don’t have enough robust data to say how much reaches us from food-contact materials.
What is clear is that there are major data and method gaps in understanding consumer exposure to plastic particles from packaging. While media reports often raise alarm, EFSA says there isn’t enough information yet to work out how much MNP people might be exposed to from food-contact materials when they’re used.
EFSA has recommended that future researchers create standard methods and reliable reference materials for testing, keep experiments clean to avoid contamination, and study real-life food-contact scenarios, including recycled plastics.
The review findings will be revisited in about five years to allow time for new data, validated methods, and reference materials to emerge. Given that most usable data identified so far are relatively recent, this timeframe should ensure a meaningful update. In the meantime, the EFSA will maintain a watching brief on developments and adjust the review schedule if needed. Stay tuned as science peels back the layers.
And, enjoy that cuppa!
Reference
- EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), Barthélémy E, Cariou R,Castle L, Crebelli R, Di Consiglio E, Hemy Dumas T, Franz R, Grog K, Lambré C, Lampi E, Milana MR, Munoz Guajardo I, Pronk M, Rivière G, da Silva M, Tietz T, Tsochatzis E,Van Hoeck E, 2025. Literature review on micro- and nanoplastic release from foodcontact materials during their use. EFSA supporting publication 2025: EN-9733. 53 pp.doi:10.2903/sp.efsa.2025.EN-9733
