The Plastic We Never See—But Eat Every Day
One evening I walked into the kitchen, and laid out across the countertop was a neatly organized collection of cast iron skillets, stainless steel pots, glass storage containers, and a stack of wooden spoons and bamboo spatulas—items that looked like they belonged more at our 1960s working farmhouse in southwest Virginia. Tracy looked up at me, calm but determined, and said something I’ll never forget: “We’re cooking plastic into our food. Not anymore.”
That moment marked a turning point in our household—and in my thinking. I had spent my professional career focused on health: the heart, the lungs, the bloodstream. But I had never paused to consider what might be leaching into the meals we cooked and shared each day. I’d always trusted the convenience of modern kitchenware—Teflon pans that slid omelets onto plates without a fight, those indestructible black nylon spatulas that flexed and bent with ease. But convenience, I realized that day with Tracy’s action, often comes at a hidden cost.
Yes, that simple act of emptying cabinets and replacing cooking utensils became a deeper reflection about the invisible but pervasive presence of microplastics in our daily lives—and especially in our food. This became my personal gateway into understanding how plastics enter our meals, our bodies, and ultimately, our health.
In a recent Forbes article, (and here via Substack) I shared what I learned about the rising health risks posed by microplastics— defined as plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size now found in our lungs, bloodstream, and even our brains. Since publishing the piece, which was partly informed by a panel discussion I attended at the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, I’ve learned more about the dangers of plastic pollution, notably how microplastics contaminate our food.
From the soil where crops grow to the packaging we see on our grocery shelves, microplastic particles are altering every part of the modern food system. And while the science is still catching up, the early findings are deeply troubling.
Microplastics in Our Food: Invisible Ingredients
In 2024, researchers found microplastics in 16 common protein products—seafood, meat, and plant-based options. This should concern all of us, because protein is an important part of the human diet. The average consumer ingests over 11,000 plastic particles per year just from protein. For those with high-protein diets, that number may be closer to 3.8 million—a staggering amount.
And it doesn't end with meat. Microplastics have now been detected in milk, vegetables, fruit, sugar, salt, and even honey. Processed foods seem to be especially vulnerable—chicken nuggets, for example, contain more plastic particles than a plain chicken breast.
This doesn’t have to do with the quality of the meat. It’s because processed food undergoes additional handling and packaging, exposing it to more contamination. Particles are added via conveyor belts, plastic containers, and even airborne fibers from synthetic clothing. By the time food reaches your table, it’s been touched by plastic at nearly every step. The sources are everywhere.
The Impact of Microplastics on Agriculture
While processing is a factor, the problem begins further upstream. Microplastics have been shown to have a negative influence on the production of food at every stage.
Microplastics are damaging the very soil we depend on. Plastic mulch breaks down in farm fields. Biosolid fertilizers—made from treated sewage sludge—introduce particles directly into the soil. Irrigation water from rivers and reservoirs carries plastic from upstream.
Even at low concentrations—just 0.01% by weight—they alter how soil holds water, disrupt nutrient retention, and interfere with plant root systems. They stress beneficial bacteria and earthworms. They leach toxic chemicals like phthalates and BPA, making it easier for them to accumulate in edible crops.
New studies show that microplastics reduce photosynthesis in plants and algae by as much as 7–12%. That means that plants generate less of the energy they need to grow, leading to smaller harvests, and declining crop quality. If current trends continue, there’s reason to believe that global yields of rice, wheat, and corn may fall by 4–14% (assuming other factors remain consistent). What begins as plastic waste and microscopic particles ends in more expensive groceries and food insecurity.
Tracy and I are amateur beekeepers. We were disturbed to learn that pollinators like honeybees have been found with microplastics in their guts and brains. These pollinators are responsible for a large percentage of global food production. The presence of microplastics affects their immune response, memory, and mobility. Consequently, their ability to pollinate is compromised. Without healthy bees, large sections of the produce aisle could disappear.
Microplastics are causing similar damage to other insects, many of which are beneficial for plants because they eat harmful pests. If these beneficial insects die off, then we can expect greater pesticide use, which could lead to a dangerous feedback loop: plastics killing beneficial insects, thereby incentivizing the increased use of pesticides that are derived from plastics themselves.
This is a Personal Issue
As a parents and grandparents, Tracy and I have spent years thinking about what our family eats—reading labels, doing our best to avoid additives, and steering clear of harmful chemicals. Tracy does this better than I. But nowhere on a food label will you find the word "plastic," even when it’s in the food product. In food, microplastics are invisible and unregulated.
We still don’t fully understand the long-term health risks. But what we know now for sure is that these particles are small enough to cross the gut lining and enter the bloodstream. We know they can carry heavy metals, hormone-disrupting chemicals, and even pathogens. We know they trigger inflammation, immune response, and cellular stress in animals. We also know that they can have a negative effect on reproductive health, potentially leading to decreased sperm counts, for example, across populations. All this is enough to worry me, as a physician and a parent.
This isn’t just about food. It’s about our future health and wellbeing. In fact, plastic is now considered one of the top 10 threats to global stability, according to the World Economic Forum, ranked alongside pandemics and nuclear war.
What can We Do to Protect our Families?
We can’t eliminate microplastics overnight. But we can reduce exposure, slow the damage, and work toward a better future. Here's how:
In our homes:
Avoid microwaving food in plastic containers.
Use glass, stainless steel, or ceramic alternatives.
Choose unpackaged produce and minimize processed food.
Wash synthetic clothes less frequently and use cold water to reduce microplastic shedding.
In our communities:
Support local farmers using organic or low-plastic methods.
Advocate for schools, daycares, and hospitals to reduce plastic in kitchens and cafeterias.
Through policy:
Advocate for schools, daycares, and hospitals to reduce plastic in kitchens and cafeterias. Limit unnecessary agricultural plastics and microplastic additives.
Support funding wastewater treatment improvements to filter plastics before they reach our farms.
Invest in biodegradable alternatives to plastic mulch and fertilizer coatings.
Expand research on microplastics’ health and environmental effects—just as we did when I was in the Senate with phthalates through the Children’s Health Act of 2000.
We owe it to the next generation to confront this challenge—not with despair, but with determination and even optimism. There is room for us to improve, and we should take the first steps to do so.
Plastic made the modern world possible, including many advances in my own field of surgery and medical care as well as food safety. But the very tools that once helped us thrive, we are now learning, are threatening to our future. As parents, citizens, and stewards of public health, let’s become more aware, ask for more research, and begin to take those reasonable steps that move us forward. Every little bit makes a difference.
The author is the Chair of the Global Board of The Nature Conservancy, and serves on the Advisory Council for the Tufts University Food is Medicine Institute.
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