CHENNAI: Expressing concern over the adverse health impact on future generations due to the presence of microplastics in food items and water packaged in plastic containers, a special division bench of Madras High Court has asked the Centre on Friday to inscribe warnings on such packages.
The bench comprising justices N Sathish Kumar and D Bharatha Chakravarthy said the presence of microplastics in food items will affect humans, especially pregnant women, thereby the future generation. It suggested the engraving of warning on food packages as done on liquor bottles and said appropriate orders will be passed.
As per the directions, the Union Ministry of Health and Family, which was suo motu impleaded as a party, filed a report on the initiatives taken for studying the presence and impact of microplastics on food items which were packed using plastic materials like bottles and wrappers. It was filed through advocate V Chandrasekaran.
He informed the court that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched a project- ‘Micro and Nano plastics as emerging food contaminants: Establishing validated methodologies and understanding the prevalence in different food matrices’. The study is done in collaboration with the CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Kochi and the Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani. The main purpose is to develop and validate analytical methods for identification and quantification of micro-nano plastics in food matrices.
The report said geographically-zoned sampling strategies have been outlined for collecting and analysing diverse matrices, including bottled water, packaged beverages, fresh and dried fish and fish meals. Stating that the study is still under progress, the report noted that preliminary studies have found the presence of microplastics in highest number in iodised salt followed by black salts and rock salts.
It further stated that a joint meeting was held with the three institutions to discuss the risk assessment of of microplastics exposure through food.