Officials issue warning following recall of popular food item: 'Do not use, sell, serve or distribute'

A supermarket in Ontario, Canada, recalled ground beef due to the possibility that it contained pieces of plastic.

What's happening?

K-Tilbury Food Market Ltd. recalled the beef in early March. The meat in question was sold at a Foodland in Tilbury, Ontario, according to local outlet Inside Halton.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency urged people to check their food and dispose of any of the affected ground beef. "Do not use, sell, serve or distribute the affected products," their notice read. People were also encouraged to seek medical advice if they believed they had consumed the product.

Inside Halton explained that the CFIA had categorized this as a Class II recall, indicating a "moderate risk that consuming the recalled food may lead to short-term or non-life threatening health problems."

Why are food recalls due to plastic contamination important?

The sizes of the plastic pieces in this recall remain unclear. Depending on the sizes involved, the health risks could include anything from choking hazards to chemical exposure.

Overall, plastic pollution is difficult to contend with since these materials are everywhere and don't biodegrade. 

Microplastics can be particularly difficult to identify and clean up since they are, by definition, less than 5 millimeters in size. And they can show up in our food and water systems.

When consumed or inhaled, this material can endure in the body. Research has linked microplastics to hormonal imbalances, chronic disease, and cancer, among other conditions.

Plastics can also contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — commonly referred to as PFAS for short or "forever chemicals" since they can remain in the body for long periods. 

These chemicals have also been linked to serious health concerns, such as infertility and cancer. According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, "One report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), found PFAS in the blood of 97% of Americans."

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What's being done about the dangers of plastic pollution?

A number of studies in the past several years have begun to shed light on the prevalence of plastics in various foods.

A 2024 paper published in the journal Environmental Research that looked at the presence of microplastics in proteins in particular called for ​​"further research, specifically into [microplastic] contamination in plant-based proteins and terrestrial meats (chicken, beef and pork)."

And a study published in 2025 in the Journal of Hazardous Materials showed that microplastics might enter food and water systems through some types of controlled-release fertilizers. Study co-author Maryam Salehi told The Guardian: "We need to inform farmers. When they choose their products, they need to know that these have some potential risks."

More research is needed to grow our understanding of how plastics of all sizes and types might come to pollute our foods. But individuals can also mitigate their exposure now by reducing their use of single-use plastics in food prep and storage as well as limiting the purchase of items that come wrapped in the stuff. 

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