Unveiling microplastics contamination in ice cream via μ-FTIR analysis: The invisible crisis of frozen desserts

Recently, the pollution problem of microplastics (MPs) that are widespread in various foods has drawn widespread attention; yet, much remains unknown regarding the presence of MPs in ice cream. In this study, nine different brands of commercial ice cream from China were detected, and the presence of MPs was analyzed. After a two-step digestion with 10% KOH + 30% H 2 O 2 , a total of 1031 MPs were extracted and characterized. MPs were detected in all brands of ice cream. The results revealed that the maximum and minimum quantities of MPs detected in the tested samples were 241 ± 24 MPs/100   g (sample E) and 38 ± 6 MPs/100   g (sample C), respectively, with an average concentration of 131 ± 22 MPs/100   g. The Kruskal-Wallis test revealed a statistically significant difference in MPs abundance among the samples (p = 0.003). Fiber was the main shape, and the results of micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μ-FTIR) showed that the most common polymer of MPs in ice cream was rayon. The smallest size of the MPs recorded was 22 μm, while the largest size exceeded 2128 μm. Therefore, the findings of the study revealed information about the present situation and contamination of MPs in ice cream.