Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of current levels of micro plastics in food destined for human consumption; and if he will make a statement.

Plastic pollution is one of the greatest environmental challenges facing the world today. The UK is a world leader in tackling plastic pollution, including microplastics.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been monitoring the scientific literature concerning the occurrence and effects of microplastics in food. On the basis of current evidence, the FSA considers it is unlikely that the presence of microplastics particles that have been reported to occur in certain types of food, especially seafood, would cause harm to consumers.

The FSA will continue to monitor and assess emerging information concerning microplastics in food including further consideration of this issue by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) later this year.

Despite research findings that show the presence of low levels of microplastics in a few types of food or drink, microplastics analysis is very challenging and there are still no practical fully validated methods that would allow reliable routine analysis for microplastics in food and therefore to assess trends.

Our priority is preventing plastic from entering the environment in the first place. The Government’s landmark Resources and Waste Strategy sets out our plans to eliminate avoidable plastic waste by 2042.