Taipei, July 14, 2026 — A child’s first complementary food may also mark the beginning of exposure to plastics. Greenpeace today released its Packaging Survey of Baby Food Products, Including Fruit Purees and Yogurts, in Major Retail Channels in Taiwan, finding that nearly 80 percent of baby fruit puree and yogurt products sold in Taiwan are packaged in plastic pouches. In hypermarkets, the figure reaches 100 percent, meaning parents have virtually no non-plastic packaging options when shopping for complementary foods.
In April 2026, Greenpeace surveyed baby fruit puree and yogurt products sold through major hypermarkets, pharmacies, baby product stores, and online shopping platforms, including Momo, PChome, Shopee and Coupang. The survey found that 100 percent of products sold in hypermarkets were packaged in plastic pouches, while the proportion ranged from 74 percent to 79 percent in pharmacies, baby product stores and online platforms (Appendix 1). Common brands included Babybio, HiPP, Pascual and Earth Love.
Parents buy baby food to nourish their children, not to expose them to plastic risks from their very first bites,” said Chi Lo, Communications Officer at Greenpeace Taiwan. “When nearly 80 percent of products use plastic pouches, this is no longer simply a matter of parental choice. The market has failed to provide sufficient safer alternatives, and government regulations have failed to keep pace.
Plastic pouches could be an important source of microplastic exposure
Plastic pouches are made of multiple layers of composite materials, including PET, aluminum foil and polyethylene (PE). The PE inner layer, spout and cap are all in direct contact with food. Recent studies suggest that the risks associated with plastic packaging extend beyond environmental pollution after disposal. Plastic packaging could also become an important source of human exposure to microplastics.
In 2025, Greenpeace International commissioned Norway’s SINTEF Ocean laboratory to test pouch-packaged baby food products from two major multinational brands (Appendix 2). Microplastics were detected in every product tested. Some fruit puree products contained up to 99 microplastic particles per gram of food, equivalent to more than 10,000 microplastic particles per pouch. Some yogurt products were estimated to contain more than 5,000 microplastic particles per pouch.
The study also detected polymers such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) in food samples, suggesting that packaging materials could be an important source of microplastics. Researchers also identified dozens of plastic-related chemicals, including substances associated with toxicity and endocrine-disrupting properties.
Experts call for applying the precautionary principle to better protect children
Dr. Tzung-Hai Yen, a nephrologist at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, said that while scientists have not yet fully determined how much microplastic exposure is harmful to human health, animal and cell studies have shown that high levels of microplastic exposure may cause oxidative stress, inflammation and even organ damage.
Action should not wait until the health impacts on humans are fully proven. The precautionary principle should guide our actions to proactively reduce human exposure to microplastics.
He added that infants and young children are at a critical stage of physical development and are more vulnerable than adults to harmful substances in the environment. Therefore, reducing their exposure should be a priority.
Dr. I-Lun Hsiao, Director of the Food Safety Testing and Functional Development Research Center at Taipei Medical University, said that plastic pouches may release not only microplastics but also other chemically complex substances generated during manufacturing or use, known as non-intentionally added substances (NIAS).
Hsiao noted that compared with the European Union, the United States and Japan, Taiwan still lacks a comprehensive regulatory framework governing chemicals used in plastic food packaging and information disclosure. Some plastic-related chemicals may have endocrine-disrupting properties. When multiple chemicals enter the human body simultaneously, they may interact with one another, creating synergistic effects that could increase potential health risks.
Greenpeace and experts jointly call on the government to strengthen food packaging regulations
Greenpeace and the experts jointly call on Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration and relevant government agencies to:
- Immediately launch a nationwide investigation into baby food packaging in Taiwan, comprehensively testing the release of microplastics and hazardous chemicals from commercially available baby food packaging, and publicly disclose the results.
- Establish standardized testing methods and risk assessment mechanisms for microplastics to strengthen the scientific foundation for evaluating the health risks of human exposure to microplastics in Taiwan.
- Improve the Sanitation Standard for Food Utensils, Containers and Packages by introducing a positive list system for raw materials and additives used in food contact materials. Only substances that have undergone safety assessment and received approval should be permitted for use in food-contact materials.
Greenpeace also calls on baby food manufacturers to proactively test their products for microplastics and hazardous chemicals and publicly disclose the results.
“Every parent wants to provide the best nutrition for their children. The next generation should not have to bear the health risks associated with plastic packaging,” Lo said. “Given the scientific uncertainty surrounding the impacts of plastic pollution on human health, the government should strengthen food packaging regulations while also reducing unnecessary plastic production at the source and phasing out unnecessary and high-risk single-use plastic products and packaging. Only then can we truly reduce the next generation’s exposure to microplastics and plastic-related chemicals.”
Appendix 1: Packaging Survey of Baby Food Products, Including Fruit Purees and Yogurts, in Major Retail Channels in Taiwan
Appendix 2: Greenpeace Report — The Microplastics Crisis: Hidden Risks of Plastic Pouches in Baby Food