Does white cheese contain microplastics?
Yes. A 2026 Food Research International study detected 40 to 50 microplastic particles per 100 g in 3 commercial white cheese samples.
What's actually in it
White cheese is a high-fat, high-protein food. That makes microplastic testing hard because the food matrix must be broken down before particles can be counted.
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles. In cheese, they can come from packaging, processing, or environmental contamination.
What the research says
A 2026 study in Food Research International tested digestion methods for measuring microplastics in white cheese. The researchers then analyzed 3 commercial white cheese samples with micro-Raman spectroscopy.
They detected 50, 48, and 40 microplastic particles per 100 g in the 3 samples. The common polymers included polyethylene, ethylene ethyl acrylate copolymer, polyester, and poly(acrylamide-acrylic acid).
The study said packaging materials and environmental factors likely play an important role. It did not prove that every cheese package releases the same amount.
What to do at home
Choose less plastic contact when you can. At home, move opened cheese into glass storage jars or glass containers, and do not heat cheese in plastic packaging.
The research at a glance
| Study | Journal | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Development of a digestion method for microplastic quantification in white cheese and detection by micro-Raman imaging. | Food Res Int | 2026 |