Yes, canned foods often contain microplastics because most cans have plastic-based linings (like epoxy resins containing BPA or its substitutes) that can degrade and leach particles into the food over time, especially with acidic or liquid contents. Studies show microplastics are common in canned fish and vegetables, originating from these linings, environmental contamination, and even the canning process itself, with liquid or acidic foods absorbing more.
🧪 What's Inside the Can? Aluminum cans are typically lined with a plastic coating, often made from epoxy resins containing chemicals like Bisphenol A (BPA). This lining prevents the beverage from corroding the metal, but it can leach microplastics and other harmful substances into the drink over time.
Which food contains the most microplastics?
Canned food contains trace amounts of a chemical substance called Bisphenol A (or BPA), which is used to keep the metals in the can from touching the food inside. In rare cases, the BPA chemical can merge with the food and if ingested in high enough doses can potentially cause cancer or other disorders.
Washing meat and fish, too, can reduce microplastics – but not eliminate them. For other foods, rinsing is impossible. Salt often contains microplastics due to contamination at mining and processing points.
Types of Microplastics: Primary & Secondary
Secondary microplastics originate from larger objects that have broken down. Secondary microplastics derive from typical plastic goods - most commonly trash bags, Ziploc bags, plastic water bottles, packaging, and fishing nets.
Supporting Your Body's Detox: High-fiber foods, sweating (through exercise or sauna), and antioxidants can help flush some microplastics out, although complete elimination isn't yet possible.
Pre-cooked pasta in sauce is one of the unhealthiest canned foods. While they might be tasty meals, the reason they have that addictive flavour is due to high levels of sugar and salt. For example, a can of Heinz Alphaghetti contains 1,490 mg of sodium and 18 g of sugar.
Cans are also usually lined internally with a plastic that protects the contents from contamination and increases the shelf life of the canned product.
You may not realize it, but your morning cup of coffee could be another source of microplastics in food. Many coffee makers, particularly those with plastic components, can release these tiny particles during the brewing process.
Liu et al. (2022) quantified and identified the presence of microplastics in eggs using fluorescent microscopy and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. The study reported the presence of 11.7 ± 4.0 particles in eggs, with a higher count in egg yolks than in egg whites.
[59] analyzed the presence of microplastics in fruits (grapes and banana) and vegetables (brinjal and potato) samples taken from different markets in Trichy, Tamil Nadu (India) and reported the occurrence of microplastics of 2 and 10 µm size in fruits and 2 and 10 µm size in vegetables, respectively.
Do Brita Filters Remove Microplastics? Brita filters can help reduce some microplastics, but they do not remove all of them.
Prolonged exposure to certain metals may lead to health issues. Moreover, according to an article published by IIBFY – A more serious concern about aluminum cans is that many are lined with Bisphenol A, or BPA use to line aluminum cans is a big concern.
Studies show that microplastics make fish and birds more vulnerable to infections. Animal and cellular studies have linked microplastics to biological changes including inflammation, an impaired immune system, deteriorated tissues, altered metabolic function, abnormal organ development, cell damage, and more.
This doesn't mean we should stop eating fish and seafood. In fact, most food and even bottled water now contain similar levels of micro- and nanoplastics. What we must understand is that plastic is a hazardous material. Harmful chemicals can leach from plastic packaging into our food and water.
6 healthy canned foods
A total of 90% of the reported particles presented a size range of 1–50 µm. The number of MPs present in canned tuna suggests that the ingredients and inputs of the canning process greatly contribute to micro polymers.
These foods include:
High amounts of sodium are a problem in canned foods. Common preservation is by adding salt. Problems caused by eating salty foods are excessive enough to cause high blood pressure and heart disease. For example, those with kidney problems have to watch their sodium, in which case canned foods are poor fare.
Cardiologists generally advise avoiding processed meats, sugary drinks and sweets, and foods high in trans fats and sodium, like most fried foods and salty snacks, because they raise bad cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation, significantly increasing heart disease risk. Focusing on whole foods and limiting these culprits is key for heart health.
Ziploc storage bags contain polyethylene and polypropylene -- plastics known to release microplastics into foods when they're subject to extreme temperatures.
Imagine a tiny finger prick test that shows whether microplastics and nanoplastics, those invisible plastic shreds from everyday life, are floating in the human bloodstream. That test now exists: it's called PlasticTox blood test for microplastics, and it's a research and development product by ArrowLab Solutions.
Here's some suggestions for how you can reduce your intake of microplastics: