The presence of microplastics in food is one of the problems that companies in the sector, in their production and distribution processes, have to face: an involuntary emission , however a source of great concern, considering the massive presence in the environment but also in the organism of these substances, due to their pervasiveness and, consequently, to the inevitable ingestion of them.This was stated by a study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology , which already in 2019 reported that the average number of microplastic particles ingested by humans in a year is between 39,000 and 52,000, with an estimate of 74,000 particles inhaled.
The new UNI/PdR 158:2024 "Guidelines for the reduction of microplastic emissions in the production and distribution of food products" intends to present itself as the appropriate tool for the objective: thanks to the joint work with Tecnoalimenti , the document identifies the “best practices” that organizations operating in the production and distribution of food products can adopt to mitigate the involuntary release of microplastics in their production activities.
The proposal is part of a more complex macro strategy at community level, which is part of the European project “CO-creating sustainable and competitive FRuits and vEgetableS' value cHains in Europe Co-Fresh” (Grant agreement ID: 101000852).
The reference practice now published is a document undoubtedly useful to all subjects operating in the agri-food supply chain but above all unique in its kind, given the absence of similar regulations on the subject : the PdR is therefore aimed at logistics operators, food companies , to distributors in the food supply chain, to large-scale retail trade and collective catering companies. (Source: https://www.uni.com /)