A popular supermarket had to recall sausages that may be contaminated with plastic.

What's happening?

The United Kingdom-based Morrisons said its The Best 6 Thick Cumberland Sausages could contain "small pieces of blue plastic," per New Food magazine. Only 400-gram packs with use-by dates of May 1 were affected.

The sausage should not be consumed, and buyers can return it to receive a refund — no receipt required.

"The recall is due to a physical contamination risk that could cause harm if consumed," the Food Standards Agency stated, per New Food. "If there is a problem with a food product that means it should not be sold, it might be withdrawn or recalled." 

New Food noted, "Physical contamination in food products poses serious health risks, and the presence of plastic fragments can lead to injury if ingested."

Morrisons is the fourth-largest grocer in the U.K.

Why is this important?

Plastic is practical, but increasing production and consumption of the material, which is usually petroleum-based, can contribute to soaring heat-trapping gas emissions and waste in the environment. When the synthetic matter degrades, it becomes smaller and smaller pieces.

Microplastics — particles smaller than 5 millimeters — have been linked to severe health problems. They disrupt the endocrine, respiratory, and nervous systems, which manage the functions that people can take for granted: hormone regulation, breathing, and brain activity.

They also permeate the environment, from soil to water to air. This affects crops, drinking water, and humans, who ingest as much as a credit card's worth of microplastics each week. Wild animals experience the same issue, with microplastics detected in the breath of dolphins.

What's being done about plastic?

The recall was all Morrisons could do to rectify the situation. To prevent future instances of the same problem, however, it could switch from plastic to metal or silicone at the source of the contamination.

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Consumers can avoid plastic and microplastics by switching to reusable water bottles, avoiding single-use food containers, and supporting brands that use sustainable products.

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