Microplastics in beer, wine, soft drinks and canned drinks
Reports for beer and soft drinks differ widely between studies, from a few to tens of thousands of particles per L. In a Spanish survey of 73 drinks, particles of phenoxy resin, which comes from the coating on the inside of the can, were found in every canned drink.
Amounts found in studies
| Study | What was tested | Size range and method | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaïb et al. (2025, ANSES) | Drinks in France | 0.03–0.5 mm, FTIR | Average per L: water 2.9 particles, wine 8.2, iced tea 28.5, cola 31.4, lemonade 45.2, beer 82.9 |
| Socas-Hernández et al. (2024) | 73 drinks | — (confirmed in the abstract) | Artificial particles (per L): water 7.2, beer 95.5. Mostly cellulose-based. Phenoxy resin particles from the can coating in all canned drinks |
| Kosuth et al. (2018) | Beer in the U.S. | Visual (no spectroscopy) | Average of 4.05 particles per L |
| Li Y et al. (2022) | Beer | — (confirmed in the abstract) | 20–80 particles per mL (orders of magnitude higher than other studies) |
Results can differ by orders of magnitude depending on the smallest particle size counted and whether particles are counted or weighed. Numbers from different studies cannot be compared directly (→ Why numbers differ).
Good to know
- Even for the same “beer,” the lower size limit and the identification method can make differences of a thousand times or more. The numbers need to be read together with each study’s conditions.
Data from Japan
We found no study that measured beer or soft drinks in Japan.
Types of plastic found
Related explainers
Sources
- Chaïb I, et al. J Food Compos Anal 2025;144:107719
- Socas-Hernández C, et al. Food Chem 2024;447:139002 (PMID 38513486)
- Kosuth M, et al. PLoS One 2018 (PMID 29641556)
- Li Y, et al. Analyst 2022 (PMID 35226027)
Last checked 2026-10-01. “Confirmed in the abstract” means we report only what the paper's abstract says. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.