Babies swallowing microplastic

Babies fed from bottles swallow on average 1.6 million microplastic particles every day, according to the new study. The research published in Nature found that preparing the baby formula in the bottle (sterilizing it and then shaking the drink) produced microplastics that count at even trillions per liter of the fluid. That amount could be cut by boiling the water in a non-plastic container, cooling it, and then rinsing the bottle three times after sterilization with the hot one. Last year’s study by WHO suggested that humans swallow 300 to 600 microplastic particles a day. The new research found this number to be higher by several orders of magnitude.

Scientists suggest that people should eat more jellyfish instead of fish. With over 90 species of endangered fish being industrially and legally caught, jellyfish could be a more eco-friendly alternative. Because biologically jellyfish are clones of each other, harvesting it is more comparable to picking apples, without destroying the trees, rather than hunting or fishing. Numerous species of jellyfish are edible. They contain around 43 calories per 100 grams of serving and have been used in various local cuisines for thousands of years. If people are to look at jellyfish as a source of food, the harvesting has to be managed sustainably.

The European Parliament voted against the ban of using the meat-related names for vegetarian products and products not containing meat. The proposed amendment prohibited giving the names like “burger”, “sausage”, “cheese alternative” and others to the plant-based products.