GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2513
TO BE ANSWERED ON 17TH DECEMBER, 2024
PRESENCE OF MICROPLASTICS IN SALT AND SUGAR CONSUMED IN
THE COUNTRY
2513 SHRI HARIS BEERAN:
SHRI DIGVIJAYA SINGH:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:
(a) whether Government is aware of studies reporting the presence of microplastics in salt and sugar consumed in the country and if so, the details of these findings;
(b) whether Government has conducted any studies or research to assess the presence
and concentration levels of microplastics in food items commonly consumed in the country, if so, the details thereof;
(c) the measures being taken by Government to monitor and regulate microplastic contamination in salt, sugar and other essential food items; and
(d) the current status of the “Micro-and Nano-Plastics as Emerging Food Contaminants: Establishing Validated Methodologies and Understanding the Prevalence in Different Food Matrices” project?

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.