Do plastic candy wrappers leave microplastics in your child's sweets?

What's actually in it

Most candies sit inside plastic wrappers for weeks or months before someone eats them. During that time, the wrapper slowly sheds tiny plastic fragments called microplastics. These particles are so small you can't see or taste them, but they end up mixed into the candy. When your child unwraps a piece and pops it in their mouth, those particles go along for the ride.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Sci Total Environ bought plastic-wrapped candies from stores and tested them for microplastic contamination. The results were consistent: every sample contained microplastics. The researchers identified fragments of common packaging plastics, including polyethylene and polypropylene.

They then calculated how much microplastic a young child would eat based on typical candy consumption. Because children eat more food relative to their body weight than adults do, their estimated exposure per kilogram was higher than an adult's.

Young children's bodies are still developing, and their guts absorb more of what passes through. Early research suggests microplastics can trigger inflammation in the digestive tract and may carry chemical additives like plasticizers deeper into the body.

You can't avoid all microplastics, but you can reduce this source. Candies wrapped in foil, paper, or wax paper shed fewer plastic particles. Buying from bulk bins and wrapping treats in paper at home is another option. For everyday snacks, fresh fruit skips the wrapper problem entirely.