Do you know how much plastic you ingest when you eat fish?
In the series ‘super-stupid news and what on earth can you still eat’, we have another interesting edition for you this week! Because just when you thought you were doing the right thing by eating less meat, it turns out this alternative is teeming with something you definitely don’t want in your stomach.
First things first: humanity is really making a mess of things when it comes to nature. Because our seas are full of plastic, it obviously ends up in fish, shellfish and crustaceans too. And it’s certainly not as though these creatures have a sophisticated system for digesting or processing it, so you can bet that you ingest some of it when you thought you were about to enjoy a delicious barbecued sardine…
Shocking
Microplastics are also found in shellfish such as oysters and mussels. Research into microplastics in fish and seafood (specifically intended for consumer use) in Australia showed that, for example, shockingly large quantities can be found in sardines. Do you know how much plastic remains in your stomach after you’ve eaten around fourteen portions of canned sardines over time? It’ll scare the hell out of you:
Imagine having to eat one
The equivalent of a straw! And not one of those lovely pasta straws that eventually break down, but one of those old school, now largely banned plastic straws. In your stomach. Microplastics include particles the size of a sesame seed. So not microscopic or anything, where you can’t see them with the naked eye. I repeat: sesame-seed-sized.
All we can do is hope that everyone becomes more aware of the food chain. If you eat plant-based, you obviously avoid these specific risks altogether. And as for the rest of us: please take good care of our planet. Because we find a life without sushi, tuna melts, gin-and-tonic oysters and garlic prawns a very sad prospect.
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Image: Sad and Useless
