Packaging Survey of Baby Food Products, Including Fruit Purees and Yogurts, in Major Retail Channels in Taiwan

Taipei, Taiwan – July 14, 2026 – A comprehensive new survey released today by Greenpeace Taiwan reveals a startling prevalence of plastic packaging in infant and toddler complementary foods, raising significant concerns about potential microplastic exposure from the earliest stages of a child’s diet. The report, titled "Packaging Survey of Baby Food Products, Including Fruit Purees and Yogurts, in Major Retail Channels in Taiwan," found that an overwhelming majority of these essential food items are encased in plastic pouches, leaving parents with limited non-plastic alternatives.

The survey, conducted in April 2026, meticulously examined baby food products across major retail channels in Taiwan, including hypermarkets, pharmacies, specialized baby product stores, and prominent online shopping platforms such as Momo, PChome, Shopee, and Coupang. The findings indicate that plastic pouches are the dominant packaging format, particularly in hypermarkets, where 100 percent of surveyed baby fruit puree and yogurt products were found to be exclusively packaged in this material. Across other retail channels, the proportion of plastic pouch packaging ranged from a still substantial 74 percent to 79 percent. Prominent brands identified in the survey include Babybio, HiPP, Pascual, and Earth Love, underscoring the widespread nature of this packaging practice.

Chi Lo, Communications Officer at Greenpeace Taiwan, articulated the organization’s deep concern: "Parents are purchasing baby food with the primary intention of nourishing their children, not to inadvertently expose them to plastic risks from their very first bites. When nearly 80 percent of products are presented in plastic pouches, this transcends the realm of individual parental choice. It signifies a market failure in providing adequate safer alternatives and a lagging response from government regulations."

The Pervasive Risk of Microplastic Contamination

The Greenpeace report highlights that plastic pouches, typically constructed from multi-layered composite materials like PET, aluminum foil, and polyethylene (PE), pose a dual threat. Beyond their well-documented environmental impact post-disposal, these packaging structures may serve as a significant source of microplastic ingestion for consumers. The inner PE layer, along with the spout and cap, are in direct contact with the food, creating a pathway for microscopic plastic particles to migrate into the product.

Supporting this concern, a groundbreaking study commissioned by Greenpeace International in 2025 by Norway’s SINTEF Ocean laboratory analyzed pouch-packaged baby food from two major multinational brands. The laboratory tests detected microplastics in every single product examined. Some fruit puree samples contained an alarming concentration of up to 99 microplastic particles per gram of food, translating to over 10,000 microplastic particles per pouch. Similarly, some yogurt products were estimated to contain more than 5,000 microplastic particles per pouch.

The SINTEF Ocean study further identified polymers such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) within the food samples, strongly suggesting that the packaging materials themselves are a primary source of these microplastic contaminants. Moreover, the analysis revealed the presence of dozens of plastic-related chemicals, including substances with known toxicity and endocrine-disrupting properties, further compounding the potential health risks.

Expert Counsel: Embracing the Precautionary Principle

Medical professionals and public health experts are echoing Greenpeace’s calls for urgent action, advocating for the application of the precautionary principle to safeguard the health of vulnerable infants and young children.

Dr. Tzung-Hai Yen, a nephrologist at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Linkou, emphasized the scientific uncertainty surrounding the precise health impacts of microplastic ingestion on humans. However, he pointed to existing animal and cellular studies that indicate a correlation between high levels of microplastic exposure and adverse health outcomes, including oxidative stress, inflammation, and even organ damage.

"Action should not wait until the health impacts on humans are fully proven," stated Dr. Yen. "The precautionary principle should guide our actions to proactively reduce human exposure to microplastics. Infants and young children are in a critical phase of physical development, making them inherently more vulnerable to harmful environmental substances than adults. Therefore, mitigating their exposure must be a paramount priority."

Echoing these sentiments, Dr. I-Lun Hsiao, Director of the Food Safety Testing and Functional Development Research Center at Taipei Medical University, elaborated on the complex chemical landscape within plastic packaging. Dr. Hsiao noted that beyond microplastics, plastic pouches can release other chemically intricate substances, termed non-intentionally added substances (NIAS), which may originate during the manufacturing or usage phases of the packaging.

Dr. Hsiao further highlighted a significant regulatory gap in Taiwan. "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 the mandatory disclosure of related information," she observed. The presence of plastic-related chemicals with potential endocrine-disrupting properties is particularly concerning. Dr. Hsiao warned that when multiple such chemicals enter the human body concurrently, they could interact, leading to synergistic effects that amplify potential health risks.

A Joint Appeal for Enhanced Regulatory Oversight and Corporate Responsibility

In light of these findings and expert opinions, Greenpeace Taiwan and the assembled experts are issuing a joint appeal to Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) and other relevant government agencies. Their recommendations include:

• Establishing stringent regulations for food packaging materials: This includes setting clear limits on the migration of microplastics and hazardous chemicals from packaging into food, particularly for infant and child-targeted products.
• Mandating comprehensive testing and disclosure: Food manufacturers should be required to conduct thorough testing of their products for microplastics and associated chemicals and publicly disclose these results.
• Promoting the development and adoption of safer packaging alternatives: Government initiatives should incentivize the research, development, and widespread use of sustainable and non-plastic packaging solutions for baby food.
• Strengthening oversight and enforcement: The TFDA should increase its monitoring of food packaging practices and enforce existing regulations robustly, with penalties for non-compliance.

Furthermore, Greenpeace is directly calling on baby food manufacturers to demonstrate proactive corporate responsibility. The organization urges these companies to independently test their products for microplastics and hazardous chemicals and to transparently share the findings with consumers and regulatory bodies.

"Every parent aspires to provide the best possible nutrition for their children," reiterated Lo. "The next generation should not be burdened with the health risks stemming from plastic packaging. Given the existing scientific uncertainties surrounding the long-term impacts of plastic pollution on human health, it is imperative for the government to enhance food packaging regulations. Simultaneously, efforts must be made to reduce unnecessary plastic production at its source and to phase out single-use plastic products and packaging that are either unessential or pose high risks. Only through such a multifaceted approach can we effectively diminish the exposure of future generations to microplastics and plastic-related chemicals."

The report references two appendices: "Appendix 1: Packaging Survey of Baby Food Products, Including Fruit Purees and Yogurts, in Major Retail Channels in Taiwan" and "Appendix 2: Greenpeace Report – The Microplastics Crisis: Hidden Risks of Plastic Pouches in Baby Food," which provide detailed methodologies and findings of the respective surveys and studies. The implications of this report extend beyond Taiwan, potentially prompting similar investigations and regulatory reviews in other regions grappling with the pervasive issue of plastic pollution and its insidious infiltration into the food chain. The long-term health consequences for a generation raised on potentially microplastic-laden diets remain a critical area for ongoing scientific inquiry and public health vigilance.