Is it safe to eat sugar that hasn't been filtered for microplastics?

What's actually in it

Refined white sugar is nearly pure sucrose. It shouldn't contain anything else. But the processing chain picks up microplastic fragments from the plastic-lined pipes, filter materials, and packaging used in modern refining. The particles are small (under 100 microns, often under 5 microns) and invisible to the eye.

Sugar is the baseline ingredient in a lot of cooking: cookies, cakes, sauces, dressings, cocktails. A household that bakes goes through several pounds a month.

What the research says

A 2026 study in J Hazard Mater detected small microplastic particles (100 to 5 μm) in refined sugar from the Italian market. Particles ranged from polyethylene to polypropylene to PET, matching the plastics used in processing equipment and packaging. Every sample had detectable contamination.

Cutting sugar intake is the bigger health move, and also the bigger microplastic reducer. For sugar that does go in the kitchen, unrefined options like coconut sugar, jaggery, and real maple syrup come from shorter processing chains and tend to carry less plastic. They also come in glass jars and tin-lined cans more often than plastic bags. For baking, organic cane sugar from brands that publish testing (Wholesome, Native Forest) is a reasonable middle ground at a higher price.