Microplastics (MPs) are plastic particles between 0.1 and 5000 µm in size that have attracted considerable attention from the scientific community and the general public, as they threaten the environment. Microplastics contribute to various harmful effects, including lipid peroxidation, DNA damage, activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, cell membrane breakages, mitochondrial dysfunction, lysosomal defects, inflammation, and apoptosis. They affect cells, tissues, organs, and overall health, potentially contributing to conditions like cancer and cardiovascular disease. They pose a significant danger due to their widespread occurrence in food. In recent years, information has emerged indicating that MPs can cause oxidative stress (OS), a known factor in accelerating the aging of organisms. This comprehensive evaluation exposed notable variability in the reported connection between MPs and OS. This work aims to provide a critical review of whether the harmfulness of plastic particles that constitute environmental contaminants may result from OS through a comprehensive analysis of recent research and existing scientific literature, as well as an assessment of the characteristics of MPs causing OS. Additionally, the article covers the analytical methodology used in this field. The conclusions of this review point to the necessity for further research into the effects of MPs on OS.

Vegetables are rich in many vitamins, mineral components, antioxidants, and macronutrients. However, they also contain high levels of anti-nutrients, which reduce the bioavailability of some nutritionally essential components such as zinc or iron. The processing of vegetables, including microbial fermentation, reduces or neutralizes tannins and phytates, which results in greater bioavailability of vitamins and minerals. Another effect of bacterial processing is an increased antioxidant potential, which has been linked to the release of polyphenols from complexes with anti-nutritional ingredients. Moreover, there were identified bioactive substances such as γ-aminobutyric acid or inhibitors of an angiotensin-converting enzyme in fermented vegetables. These substances may support the treatment of lifestyle diseases, such as depression or hypertension. However, there are still no data about these substances’ bioavailability after the consumption of fermented vegetables. Additionally, fermented foods are rich in probiotic microorganisms, where the main group is lactic acid bacteria. The effect of fermentation on each vegetable is different. This should be a reason to expand our knowledge as more innovative and untested fermented products appear on the market.

Plastics are commonly used for packaging in the food industry. The most popular thermoplastic materials that have found such applications are polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), and polystyrene (PS). Unfortunately, most plastic packaging is disposable. As a consequence, significant amounts of waste are generated, entering the environment, and undergoing degradation processes. They can occur under the influence of mechanical forces, temperature, light, chemical, and biological factors. These factors can present synergistic or antagonistic effects. As a result of their action, microplastics are formed, which can undergo further fragmentation and decomposition into small-molecule compounds. During the degradation process, various additives used at the plastics’ processing stage can also be released. Both microplastics and additives can negatively affect human and animal health. Determination of the negative consequences of microplastics on the environment and health is not possible without knowing the course of degradation processes of packaging waste and their products. In this article, we present the sources of microplastics, the causes and places of their formation, the transport of such particles, the degradation of plastics most often used in the production of packaging for food storage, the factors affecting the said process, and its effects.

Plastic waste pollution is one of the biggest problems in the world today. The amount of plastic in the environment continues to increase, and human exposure to microplastic (MP) has become a reality. This subject has attracted the attention of the whole world. The MP problem has also been noticed by the scientific community. The term microplastic is mostly used to define synthetic material with a high polymer content that can have a size range from 0.1 to 5000 µm. This paper aims to characterize the routes of exposure to MP, define its pollution sources, and identify food types contaminated with plastics. This review addresses the current state of knowledge on this type of particles, with particular emphasis on their influence on human health. Adverse effects of MP depend on routes and sources of exposure. The most common route of exposure is believed to be the gastrointestinal tract. Sources of MP include fish, shellfish, water as well as tea, beer, wine, energy drinks, soft drinks, milk, salt, sugar, honey, poultry meat, fruits, and vegetables. Studies have shown that particles of PET, PE, PP, PS, PVC, PA, and PC are the most frequently found in food.

Spectrophotometric antioxidant assays can generally be divided into two fundamental categories: single electron transfer (SET)-based assays and hydrogen atom transfer (HAT)-based methods. In SET-based assays, the progression of the electron exchange reaction is determined by the redox potential of the substrates. In contrast, HAT-based methods assess the antioxidant’s ability to transfer a hydrogen atom to a radical, thereby stabilizing it. The objective of this article is to provide a critical evaluation of antioxidant spectrophotometric assays. Assessing the antioxidant potential of food should involve multiple assays to ensure accuracy and reliability. A positive correlation among different methods enhances the validity of the results. Moreover, antioxidants may interact with other food components, such as amino acids, potentially leading to inaccurate outcomes—as observed in the Folin–Ciocalteu assay. Among the various techniques, CUPRAC and ORAC exhibit greater repeatability and reagent stability compared to other assays. Furthermore, these methods are considered superior due to their closer resemblance to in vivo conditions. In contrast, approaches such as ABTS⁺, DPPH, FRAP, and Folin–Ciocalteu are often criticized for their non-physiological environments. There is a pressing need to establish a standardized method that, to the greatest extent possible, reflects in vivo conditions and can serve as a reference standard for other assays.

Microplastics (MPs) are plastic particles between 0.1 and 5,000 µm in size that can contaminate food. Unfortunately, to date, little attention has been paid to analyzing the presence of such particles in baby foods. The present study aimed to determine the degree of contamination of infant formula with MPs. A total of thirty products were subjected to analysis. The research methodology used included the isolation of plastic particles, identification and characterization of MPs using advanced microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. Microplastics were detected in all tested samples. The most frequently identified polymers were polyamide, polyethylene, polypropylene, and poly(ethylene terephthalate). The particles exhibited diverse forms, including fibers, fragments, and films, displaying a range of colors such as colorless, black, and brown particles. Furthermore, the daily intake of MPs by children fed exclusively infant formula was estimated to be approximately 49 ± 32 MPs. This poses a potential health risk for the youngest.