Latest news with #ANSES
The Independent
18 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Up to 50 times more microplastics in glass-bottle drinks than plastic ones
A new study indicates that beverages sold in glass bottles may contain significantly more microplastic particles than those in plastic bottles or metal cans. Researchers, including those from France 's food safety agency ANSES, found an average of 100 microplastic particles per litre in glass bottles of various drinks. This level of contamination is surprisingly five to 50 times greater than that found in plastic bottles, a finding that contradicted scientists' expectations. The study suggests that the paint on bottle caps is the likely main source of microplastic contamination in glass bottles. Scientists recommend that glass bottle manufacturers clean new capsules before capping to significantly reduce microplastic contamination.
Euronews
20 hours ago
- Health
- Euronews
French doctors warn of health risks from heavy metal in everyday foods
French doctors are raising the alarm about the health effects of a toxic heavy metal found in everyday food staples such as bread, cereal, and potatoes. Cadmium, which causes cancer in humans, is naturally found in soil and used in phosphate fertilisers, meaning it is introduced to the food chain through crops. Food is most people's top source of exposure, though cigarettes also contain cadmium. Now, the French association of medical professionals (URPS) says there is an 'explosion of contamination of young children' because of their diets, with likely health consequences as they grow up. 'The metal is considered one of the most toxic in existence,' according to the doctors' letter to the French government, which is dated June 2. Cadmium has been linked to pancreatic, lung, prostate, and kidney cancers, as well as heart diseases, fertility problems, kidney damage, neurological issues, and bone disorders. According to France's food and environmental safety agency (ANSES), 0.6 per cent of adults' diets are too high in cadmium. But that share rises to 14 per cent for children aged three to 17, and up to 36 per cent for toddlers under the age of three. Between 2000 and 2022, Italy reported the most alerts for cadmium contamination in the European Union, followed by Spain, Germany, France, and Poland, according to a 2023 study. The EU has banned phosphate fertilisers with more than 60 mg/kg of cadmium, and several countries have set stricter limits. But France, which is the EU's leading consumer of phosphate fertiliser, has not moved to bring cadmium limits down any further – despite researchers saying the EU's 60 mg/kg cap is not enough. The doctors' group called on the French government to launch awareness campaigns, try to change children's school menus, promote organic foods due to their lower levels of cadmium, and track exposure levels among at-risk patients. For example, the letter said that in the United States, cadmium contamination has fallen since the 1960s due to 'better management of sewage sludge in agricultural soils'. The doctors said it's critical to take steps now to lower cadmium exposure, because it could be years or even decades before the effects on people are fully realised. The metal 'persists and accumulates in the body over the years,' the letter read.
The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
Glass bottles may contain more microplastics than plastic ones, scientists warn
Drinks sold in glass bottles, like soda, wine, or beer, may contain more microplastic particles than those in plastic ones, a surprising new study published by France's food safety agency suggests. Microplastics, several times smaller than the width of a single human hair strand, form as plastic waste breaks down into smaller pieces over time, finding their way into the environment and into the bodies of humans and other species. They have been detected almost everywhere, polluting the clouds, the deepest parts of the ocean and on the sides of the world's tallest mountains. A growing body of studies warns that exposure to these particles via the air we breathe and the food we eat could be linked to serious health conditions like strokes, hormone disruptions and several kinds of cancer. Scientists hope to better understand the prevalence of these potentially toxic particles and the ways in which humans get exposed to them. Previous research has found direct evidence linking a key ingredient of plastic bottles to an increased risk of diabetes. Now, a new study published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis has found that microplastics are prevalent even in beverages sold in glass bottles. Researchers, including those from the French food safety agency ANSES, found an average of around 100 microplastic particles per litre in glass bottles of soft drinks, lemonade, tea, and beer. This could be five to 50 times greater than the rate found in plastic bottles or metal cans, scientists say. 'Counterintuitively, drinks sold in glass bottles were more contaminated by microplastics,' they wrote in the study. "We expected the opposite result," Iseline Chaib, one of the authors of the new study, told AFP. The study could not directly establish whether there was any health risk from the consumption of such beverages sold in glass bottles or not, due to the lack of toxicological data. Scientists found that the microplastic particles in the glass bottles corresponded to the colour and polymer composition of the paint on their caps, indicating that this was likely the main source of contamination. They recommend that glass bottle manufacturers clean new capsules before capping the bottles to reduce microplastic contamination. 'Pre-cleaning of new capsules, by blowing them out and rinsing them with water/ethanol/water, has significantly reduced the number of MPs (microplastics) per encapsulated bottle, lowering it by approximately three, compared to untreated capsules,' scientists said. Researchers suspect the capsules used for capping glass bottles likely undergo abrasion and surface friction as they collide during storage and transport, causing their particles to flake into bottles. 'Cleaning seems to be essential and could significantly minimise contamination of the liquid in the bottle by paint particles present in the capsule,' they added.
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Health
- Business Standard
Glass bottles may have more microplastics than plastic, shows French study
Most of us believe that glass bottles are a safer choice for drinking, don't we? But a new study has thrown a twist into this long-held assumption with surprising findings. Glass bottles may actually contain far more microplastics than plastic ones, in some cases, up to 50 times more. A study conducted by France's food safety agency, ANSES, titled 'Microplastic contaminations in a set of beverages sold in France', published recently in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, examined popular beverages like soft drinks, beer, iced tea, and water. Beer bottles topped the contamination charts. What did the study find? Researchers from ANSES analysed 56 beverage samples including water, soft drinks, iced tea, lemonade, beer, and wine, packaged in different materials like plastic, glass, brick cartons, cans, and cubitainers. They found glass bottles had the highest microplastic contamination across most beverages. On average: Waters had the lowest contamination at 2.9 MPs per litre, but glass bottles still had higher levels than plastic The researchers initially believed plastic would be the bigger culprit, but found the opposite. Which beverages contained the most microplastics? Here's a quick contamination snapshot (microplastic particles per litre): Beer (glass bottles): ~133 MPs per litre Lemonade (glass bottles): ~112 MPs per litre Cola (glass bottles): ~103 MPs per litre Iced Tea (glass bottles): ~86 MPs per litre Water (glass bottles): ~4.5 MPs per litre In contrast, plastic and canned versions of these drinks had significantly lower levels of microplastics. Why are glass bottles contaminated? It's not the glass itself, it's the caps. The study found that most microplastic particles in beverages stored in glass bottles matched the colour and chemical composition of the paint used on the outside of the bottle caps. The caps, especially those made of metal with painted coatings, are likely shedding microplastics into the drink. Experiments revealed that a simple cleaning method, blowing and rinsing the caps before sealing, could reduce microplastic contamination by about three times. Besides packaging, other sources include: Manufacturing processes: Screwing/unscrewing caps can introduce particles Environmental exposure: Poor storage and handling Paint and adhesives: Especially on caps and labels Notably, wine bottles were the exception. They had lower contamination because they were sealed with cork stoppers instead of metal caps. What are microplastics? Microplastics are tiny plastic fragments less than five millimetres in size. They are found almost everywhere, from the deepest oceans to the food and drinks we consume. Studies have even found microplastics in human tissues like the brain and placenta. Should you stop drinking from glass bottles? Not necessarily. But this study is surely a wake-up call. The perception that glass is always the safer, cleaner option isn't as straightforward as we thought. For more health updates, follow #HealthWithBS
New York Post
3 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
Glass bottles found to have five to 50 times as many microplastics as plastic bottles in shocking new study
Looks like the glass is half full…of plastic. Microplastics are everywhere — in your chewing gum, your beauty products and even your favorite junk food. Given the name, it's reasonable to assume you're more likely to find them in products containing plastic than not. Advertisement 3 Microplastics are everywhere — in your chewing gum, your beauty products and even your favorite junk food. SIV Stock Studio – But a jaw-dropping new study — published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis — has discovered quite the opposite seems to be the case. Guillaume Duflos, research director at French food safety watchdog ANSES, told AFP that his team set out to 'investigate the quantity of microplastics in different types of drinks sold in France and examine the impact different containers can have.' Advertisement Much to their surprise, they found that glass-bottled beverages — including lemonade, iced tea, beer and soda — had five to 50 times more microplastics than their plastic or metal counterparts. Needless to say, the team 'expected the opposite result,' study co-author Iseline Chaib told AFP. Researchers found an average of roughly 100 microplastic particles per liter in these glass bottles, which they pinned on the paint on their caps. 3 Glass-bottled beverages had five to 50 times more microplastics than their plastic or metal counterparts. SKfoto – Advertisement 'We…noticed that in the glass, the particles emerging from the samples were the same shape, color and polymer composition — so, therefore, the same plastic — as the paint on the outside of the caps that seal the glass bottles,' Chaib said. They theorized that 'tiny scratches, invisible to the naked eye, probably due to friction between the caps when there were stored,' might subsequently 'release particles onto the surface of the caps.' Still, some of the study's findings remain a mystery. 3 Bottles of wine contained very few microplastics, even when capped. Gary Perkin – Advertisement The team found only 4.5 particles and 1.6 particles of microplastics per liter in glass and plastic bottles, respectively. And — in more good news — bottles of wine also contained very few microplastics, even when capped. In contrast, there were 60, 40 and 30 microplastics per liter in beer, lemonade and soft drinks, respectively. Duflos admitted that the reason behind this inconsistency 'remains to be explained.' While the full health impact of microplastics continues to be unclear, studies have linked them to inflammation, hormone disruption, DNA damage, respiratory illnesses, heart problems and certain cancers. ANSES suggests a quick fix: try blowing on the caps and rinsing them with water and alcohol. The French watchdog found this method can slash plastic contamination by 60 percent.
