Research from academics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VUA) has uncovered microplastic contamination in three-quarters of samples of blood taken from cattle and pigs on farms in the Netherlands.

The VUA said there were indications that the contamination may have come from animal feed that had been wrapped in plastic. 

Meat and dairy products from the animals also showed signs of contamination.

Campaign group The Plastic Soup Foundation, which commissioned the research, said there was “an urgent need to rid the world of plastic in animal feed to protect the health of livestock and humans”.

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