GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2051
TO BE ANSWERED ON 6 TH DECEMBER, 2024
PRESENCE OF MICROPLASTICS IN SALT AND SUGAR
2051. DR. MOHAMMAD JAWED:
ADV. ADOOR PRAKASH:
SHRI MURARI LAL MEENA:
SHRI HIBI EDEN:
SHRI HARISH CHANDRA MEENA:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware of studies reporting the presence of microplastics in Salt and Sugar consumed in the country including Tonk-Sawai Madhopur district in Rajasthan and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government has conducted any study or research to assess the presence of microplastics and its concentration level in food materials being consumed generally in the country, particularly in Rajasthan and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise;

(c) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government for monitoring and regulation of microplastic contamination in salt, sugar and other essential food materials; and

(d) the current status of the project Micro and Nano-Plastics as Emerging Food Contaminants: “Establishing Validated Methodologies and Understanding the prevalence in Different Food Matrices”?

ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

(SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) to (d): The Government is aware of the study which detected microplastics in salt and sugar samples. Various studies conducted by different organizations are discussed by the independent experts in the Scientific Panels of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Issues are considered based on the merits of the studies by the experts. FSSAI has funded the project by CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research,Lucknow, ICAR-Central institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT), Kochi and Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani titled “Micro-and nano-plastics as emerging food contaminants: Establishing validated Methodologies and understanding the prevalence in different food matrices”. The objectives of the project are:-

i. Development and validation of analytical methods for identification and quantification of micro/nano-plastics in foods matrices.

ii. Inter- and intra-laboratory comparison of developed methods in identified food matrices.

iii. Surveillance and determination of exposure levels of micro-/nano-plastics in identified foods matrices.