{"id":64675,"date":"2026-05-21T18:26:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T10:26:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/malaysia\/?p=64675"},"modified":"2026-05-21T19:26:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T11:26:00","slug":"greenpeace-study-finds-microplastics-in-nestle-danone-baby-food-sold-in-plastic-pouches-raising-alarm-for-millions-of-babies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/malaysia\/press\/64675\/greenpeace-study-finds-microplastics-in-nestle-danone-baby-food-sold-in-plastic-pouches-raising-alarm-for-millions-of-babies\/","title":{"rendered":"Greenpeace study finds microplastics in Nestl\u00e9, Danone baby food sold in plastic pouches, raising alarm for millions of babies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-ad2f72ca wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-cta\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-malaysia-stateless\/2026\/05\/2b0ba6bb-21052026_siaran-akhbar_kajian-greenpeace-menemui-mikroplastik-dalam-makanan-bayi-nestle-dan-danone-dalam-pembungkusan-pek-plastik-mencetuskan-kebimbangan-terhadap-jutaan-bayi-1.pdf\">Versi Bahasa Melayu<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"797\" height=\"1130\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-malaysia-stateless\/2026\/05\/08301f28-tiny-plastics-big-problem-cover.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-64659\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.7050923335198657;width:295px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-malaysia-stateless\/2026\/05\/08301f28-tiny-plastics-big-problem-cover.png 797w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-malaysia-stateless\/2026\/05\/08301f28-tiny-plastics-big-problem-cover-212x300.png 212w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-malaysia-stateless\/2026\/05\/08301f28-tiny-plastics-big-problem-cover-722x1024.png 722w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-malaysia-stateless\/2026\/05\/08301f28-tiny-plastics-big-problem-cover-768x1089.png 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-malaysia-stateless\/2026\/05\/08301f28-tiny-plastics-big-problem-cover-240x340.png 240w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 797px) 100vw, 797px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<p><strong>Kuala Lumpur, 21 May 2026<\/strong> \u2013 New research commissioned by Greenpeace International has found microplastics in baby food sold in plastic pouches by two of the world\u2019s largest food companies, Nestl\u00e9 and Danone, raising urgent concerns about the safety of products marketed for babies.<\/p>\n\n<p>The report, <strong><em>Tiny Plastics, Big Problem: The Hidden Risks of Plastic Pouches for Baby Food<\/em><\/strong>, detailed the laboratory testing of popular baby food brands, Nestl\u00e9\u2019s Gerber and Danone\u2019s Happy Baby Organics, where microplastic particles were found in every sample analysed. The test conducted also suggests that a range of chemicals were present in both the packaging and the food. [1] This suggests that the plastic packaging itself may be a source of contamination, potentially exposing babies to thousands of microscopic plastic fragments with every pouch consumed.<\/p>\n\n<p>Key findings from the report include:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For every gram of baby food tested, researchers found up to <strong>54 microplastic particles<\/strong> in Gerber pouches and <strong>up to 99 particles<\/strong> in Happy Baby Organics pouches, on average. That\u2019s equivalent to as many as <strong>270 (Gerber) <\/strong>and<strong> 495 (Happy Baby Organics) microplastics per teaspoon<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The study estimated <strong>more than 5,000 microplastics<\/strong> in each Gerber pouch and <strong>more than 11,000 particles<\/strong> in each Happy Baby Organics pouch.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The study also identified a range of plastic-associated chemicals present in both the packaging and the food, including the presence of a <strong>potential endocrine disruptor<\/strong> in the Gerber samples tested.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The study suggests a link between polyethylene, the plastic the pouches are lined with, and some of the microplastics found in the baby food tested.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>Plastic squeeze pouches have rapidly become the dominant packaging format for baby food worldwide, driven by aggressive marketing and a lack of options. It is the fastest-growing form of packaging[2] at 8.18% year on year up to 2031, making up 37.15% of 2025 global market by volume, exceeding all other forms of packaging, including traditional glass jars. Today, millions of these single-use pouches are purchased daily, meaning that millions of babies could be ingesting microplastics alongside their food. Babies may be particularly vulnerable to such exposures due to their rapidly developing organs and higher intake of food relative to body weight.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Graham Forbes, Global Plastics Campaign Lead from Greenpeace USA, said:<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong><strong>\u201c<\/strong>This study is a wake-up call for parents everywhere, who trust these brands to put their kids first. Plastic-dependent companies like Nestl\u00e9 and Danone owe families a clear answer: what are they doing to eliminate microplastics and chemicals from the products they sell to babies? Plastic pollution is not just wrecking our environment, it\u2019s entering our bodies, starting from infancy. How our food is packaged is designed for profit, not for people\u2019s health. Cutting plastic production and eliminating harmful chemicals is essential to protect human health, especially the health of our children.\u201d<br><br><strong>Dunxin Weng, Greenpeace Malaysia\u2019s Zero Waste Campaigner, said:<\/strong><br>\u201cParents should not have to worry that everyday food packaging could expose babies and young children to microplastics and potentially harmful chemicals. As plastic-packaged food products become increasingly common across Malaysia and the region, there is a growing need for stronger transparency, safer packaging alternatives, and greater corporate accountability to protect public health.\u201d<br><br>Adding that the findings should prompt greater scrutiny of food packaging materials and stronger transparency and safeguards, particularly for products consumed by infants and young children. The need for this is even more apparent as governments, including Malaysia\u2019s continued negotiations toward a legally binding UN Global Plastics Treaty aimed at addressing plastic pollution and chemical contamination throughout the plastics lifecycle.<\/p>\n\n<p>In Malaysia and across Southeast Asia, flexible plastic packaging and single-use sachet-style products remain widely used due to convenience and affordability, contributing to growing concerns around plastic pollution and everyday human exposure to microplastics. A previous study by Environmental Science &amp; Technology&nbsp; published in 2024 also found that Malaysians consume an average of <strong>502.3mg of microplastics daily per capita<\/strong>, highlighting wider concerns around the prevalence of plastics in daily life. [3]<br><br>This trend is part of a broader surge in plastic production and use, much of it driven by major consumer goods companies. Packaging alone accounts for around 40% of global plastic production. One of its fastest-growing segments is flexible, multilayer plastics like baby food pouches and sachets, which are notoriously difficult to recycle and a major source of pollution in many regions.<\/p>\n\n<p>Nestl\u00e9 and Danone have repeatedly ranked among the world\u2019s top plastic polluters in global brand audits conducted by the Break Free From Plastic movement.<\/p>\n\n<p>Globally, Greenpeace is calling on Nestl\u00e9, Danone, and all baby food producers to urgently investigate their products, prove they are not putting young children at risk of exposure, and commit to phasing out plastic packaging in favour of non-toxic, plastic-free, reusable alternatives. Negotiating countries must act with urgency to reduce plastic production and end uncontrolled and unregulated plastic and chemical contamination that threatens human health.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>&#8211; ENDS &#8211;<br><br>Photos available <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/media.greenpeace.org\/Detail\/27MZIFJHIRVZD\"><strong>here <\/strong><\/a><strong>\u00a9Greenpeace<br><br>Notes:<\/strong><br>[1] The study was conducted by SINTEF Ocean in Norway in 2025 and commissioned by Greenpeace International. It tested three pouches each of two baby food products, Nestl\u00e9&#8217;s Gerber brand yoghurt puree and Danone\u2019s Happy Baby Organics brand fruit puree. Products were analyzed as sold (not heated).<br>[2]<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mordorintelligence.com\/industry-reports\/baby-food-packaging-market\">https:\/\/www.mordorintelligence.com\/industry-reports\/baby-food-packaging-market<\/a><br>[3]<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/asia\/southeast-asia\/article\/3265411\/malaysia-eats-more-plastic-every-day-108-other-countries-study-finds\">https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/asia\/southeast-asia\/article\/3265411\/malaysia-eats-more-plastic-every-day-108-other-countries-study-finds<\/a><\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-action-yellow-500-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-malaysia-stateless\/2026\/05\/2b0ba6bb-21052026_siaran-akhbar_kajian-greenpeace-menemui-mikroplastik-dalam-makanan-bayi-nestle-dan-danone-dalam-pembungkusan-pek-plastik-mencetuskan-kebimbangan-terhadap-jutaan-bayi-1.pdf\">Versi Bahasa Melayu<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The report, Tiny Plastics, Big Problem: The Hidden Risks of Plastic Pouches for Baby Food, detailed the laboratory testing of popular baby food brands, Nestl\u00e9\u2019s Gerber and Danone\u2019s Happy Baby Organics, where microplastic particles were found in every sample analysed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":86,"featured_media":64681,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"","p4_og_description":"","p4_og_image":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-malaysia-stateless\/2026\/05\/0b582742-twin-babies-2026-05-21-180136.png","p4_og_image_id":"64681","p4_seo_canonical_url":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/malaysia\/press\/64675\/greenpeace-study-finds-microplastics-in-nestle-danone-baby-food-sold-in-plastic-pouches-raising-alarm-for-millions-of-babies\/","p4_campaign_name":"Plastic Free Future","p4_local_project":"","p4_basket_name":"Plastics","p4_department":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[131,126],"tags":[22],"p4-page-type":[14],"class_list":["post-64675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate-and-pollution","category-policy-and-justice","tag-plastics","p4-page-type-press"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/malaysia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64675","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/malaysia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/malaysia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/malaysia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/86"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/malaysia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64675"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/malaysia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64675\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64686,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/malaysia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64675\/revisions\/64686"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/malaysia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/malaysia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/malaysia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/malaysia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64675"},{"taxonomy":"p4-page-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/malaysia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/p4-page-type?post=64675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}