The hidden danger in your daily coffee run (and it’s not the caffeine)
New research has revealed single-use takeaway coffee cups are releasing millions of microplastic particles into every serving via the plastic lining inside of them.
The research by the University of Queensland has also found so-called ‘eco-friendly’ biodegradable takeaway coffee cups can be even worse.
Research has revealed single-use takeaway coffee cups release millions of microplastic particles. Jo Abi
Dietitian and nutritionist Susie Burrell says Australians are already consuming about five grams of microplastics per year from multiple sources, which is about the size of one credit card.
“There’s a whole new range of ‘eco cups’ out there claiming to be better for the environment, but what the study showed was that kind of substance releases double the microplastics of traditional plastic cups,” Burrell explained on Today.
“The truth is, if you are serious about reducing these molecules, which cannot leave your body, you’ve got to swap to the glass or the aluminium-type ‘keep cups’.
“There’s no better option when it comes to the coffee cups because of that film on the inside of the cup.”
The University of Queensland is calling for regulators to consider safety guidelines or product labels warnings on takeaway coffee cups as a result.
The study adds to growing evidence new plastic products used for food storage and preparation represent a significant yet often overlooked source of human exposure via ingestion.
Burrell said heated beverages and foods pose an even bigger risk.
“We do know that it is the hot beverages, when we are adding them to any of the plastics, that makes it a hundred times worse,” she said.
So-called eco-friendly biodegradable cups are even worse, research has shown. Jo Abi
“Even if you buy your coffee and tip it into a ceramic or an aluminium cup, that’s going to be a better option.
“So if you are a big coffee drinker and are having more than a cup a day, you’re certainly better to invest in a ‘keep cup’.”
Burrell recommends investing in a reusable takeaway coffee cup. iStockphoto
Burrell explained plastic food containers are an additional concern, particularly when it comes to takeaway meals and increasingly popular single-serve tubs of microwave rices.
“People are having those every single day, in the same way they are having coffee every day, and that’s where it’s going to add up over time.”
As with hot beverages, Burrell said it is “much, much better” to put the rice into glass containers before microwaving.
When it comes to pre-made sauces that also come in plastic containers, she suggested tipping them out into ceramic plates or saucepans before heating them.
“When it gets warm, it leaches more of those [microplastics] into the food we are consuming,” Burrell explained.
The University of Queensland’s research on microplastics in takeaway coffee follows research by University of New York in collaboration with Orb Media, a US-based non-profit organisation, which found widespread microplastic contamination in more than 90 per cent of bottled water.
These alarming results have already seen the World Health Organisation announce a review into the potential risks associated with drinking water bottled in plastic.
Another recent study found microplastic contamination in more than 90 per cent of bottled water. Nine
Burrell said while further research into microplastics is needed, there are some concerns the consumption of them disrupts endocrine pathways in the body and perhaps the reproductive system, or even have a carcinogenic or cancer causing effect.
Of the “terrible water bottles”, she said these can pose an additional risk when left in the car and exposed to additional heat.
