Microplastics in Edible Oils & Thermal Processing

The investigation of microplastic contamination within edible oils has captured growing attention in the fields of food chemistry and nutritional science. As edible oils serve as essential components in both domestic and industrial cooking—particularly through frying and other high-temperature processes—they represent a unique interface where environmental micropollutants may interact with food matrices. Recent research has highlighted the potential for microplastics to enter edible oils via multiple pathways, including contaminated raw materials, processing environments, packaging, and airborne deposition. Compounding these concerns are the complex physicochemical changes that occur during thermal processing, such as oil oxidation, polymerization, and trans fatty acid formation, which may influence microplastic interactions, fate, and potential risks.

This Research Topic aims to advance understanding of the occurrence, transformation, and analytical challenges of microplastics in edible oils, with particular emphasis on frying and other thermal processes. Key objectives include elucidating how high-temperature treatments affect the distribution and chemical behavior of microplastics within lipid-rich matrices; developing precise, reliable detection and quantification techniques for microplastics in complex oily systems; and characterizing the impact of microplastics on edible oil quality, safety, and nutritional value. Furthermore, the Research Topic seeks to aggregate research on regional variations in oil processing (e.g., street food frying, domestic versus industrial practices) and encourage method development for assessing microplastics within these often-challenging analytical matrices.

This Research Topic is dedicated to interdisciplinary approaches at the intersection of microplastics research, lipid chemistry, thermal processing, and food safety, focusing primarily on edible oils and the transformations they undergo. Submissions exploring both experimental and methodological perspectives are encouraged. To gather further insights in this area, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Pathways and sources of microplastics contaminating edible oils
• Effects of thermal processing (frying, repeated use) on microplastic fate and interactions
• Impacts of microplastics on oil oxidation, polymerization products, and trans fatty acid content
• Methodological advances for detecting and quantifying microplastics in oily and thermally processed foods
• Comparative studies across street food, domestic, and industrial oil processing settings
• Risk assessment and potential health implications of microplastics in edible oils and fried foods

Appendix: Article types may include original research articles, reviews, methodological advances, perspectives, and case studies.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: preservation, contamination, Microplastics in edible oils, Microplastic contamination, Edible oil contamination, Microplastics in food, Frying oil microplastics, Thermal processing, High-temperature cooking, Oil oxidation, Polymerization products, Trans fatty acids, Analytical methods, Microplastic detection, Microplastic quantification, Food safety, Risk assessment

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.