A coordinated approach to assess the human health risks of micro- and nanoplastics in food

Microplastics are small particles of plastic less than 5mm in size; nanoplastics are even smaller, ranging from 1 to 100 nanometres (N.B. 1 nanometre equals one-millionth of a millimetre).

In 2016, EFSA identified the need to generate more data on their occurrence levels in food and on their potential effects on human health following exposure. Recently, international reports on microplastics and nanoplastics have been published, yet many of the food safety aspects remain unaddressed.

Public concern about this topic is high. EFSA’s 2019 Eurobarometer on Food Safety in the EU found that microplastics in food was a topic of increasing concern among EU citizens.

Therefore, EFSA is holding a scientific colloquium with the following objectives:

• bringing stakeholders together,
• understanding the current state of play and ongoing research on this topic
• building possible synergies,

The colloquium will take place online on 6 and 7 May 2021.