Does store-bought refined sugar contain hidden microplastics?

What's actually in it

Refined white sugar goes through multiple processing steps: washing, filtering, centrifuging, and drying. At each stage, the sugar contacts plastic equipment, pipes, filters, and packaging materials. Tiny fragments break off and end up in the final product. By the time you scoop sugar into your coffee or mix it into a recipe, it contains microplastic particles too small to see.

What the research says

A 2026 study in J Hazard Mater tested refined sugar sold in Italian grocery stores and found microplastic particles between 5 and 100 micrometers in every sample. The researchers identified common industrial plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene, which are used in food processing machinery and packaging.

The small size of these particles is the concern. Particles under 10 micrometers can cross the gut wall and enter the bloodstream. Once in the blood, they can reach the liver, kidneys, and other organs. Larger particles may still irritate the gut lining and trigger low-grade inflammation.

Sugar is one of the most consumed ingredients on the planet. Even a small amount of microplastic per spoonful adds up when you multiply it by every meal, every drink, and every baked good. Combined with microplastics from water, salt, seafood, and packaging, sugar adds another layer to your daily plastic intake.

You can't remove microplastics from sugar at home. But reducing processed sugar overall, or choosing less refined options like raw cane sugar that undergo fewer processing steps, may cut your exposure slightly.