Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
KAFKAS UNIVERSITESI VETERINER FAKULTESI DERGISI, cilt.28, sa.5, ss.633-641, 2022 (SCI-Expanded)
Plastics, which have made our lives easier since their invention and have found a wide range of applications because they offer numerous solution alternatives, are currently being investigated as a potential food safety risk. Microplastics (MPs) are defined as plastic waste particles smaller than 5 mm in size. Microplastics are commonly consumed orally, and their presence in various foods has been reported. The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of MPs in yogurt production steps. The study's samples were drawn from a medium-sized national yogurt producing facility in Istanbul. Initially, samples were subjected to artificial digestion. They were subsequently filtered by a vacuum pump. Suspicious MP in the filters were examined with a binocular microscope and classified based on their size, color, and shape. Finally, SEM and ATR-FTIR techniques were utilized to characterize MPs. According to the results, the filters of twelve process steps/sampling locations contained a total of 171 microplastic particles. MPs were prevalent within the range of 20 to 580 particles L-1. The concentration of MPs in raw milk and yogurt containers were found extremely high. To evaluate the level of risk associated with MP and to reduce MP contamination at plants of varying sizes, interdisciplinary research is required.