Yes, microplastics have been detected in commercially sold olive oil — including extra virgin olive oil collected directly from mills before any plastic packaging contact. This is not a reason to stop eating olive oil. It is a reason to understand where the contamination comes from, what it means for your health, and how packaging choices affect your exposure.
What Are Microplastics?
Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters in size. They enter the environment through the breakdown of larger plastic items, through plastic production processes, and through direct shedding from plastic packaging and food contact materials. Once in the environment, they accumulate — in soil, water, air, and food.
Exposure to microplastics has been linked to potential metabolic disturbances, neurotoxicity, and increased cancer risk in laboratory studies. Particles as small as 3 micrometers can be taken up directly by macrophage cells — the immune cells your body uses to fight infection and disease. Americans are estimated to consume between 39,000 and 52,000 microplastic particles per year through food and water alone.
Are Microplastics Found in Olive Oil?
Yes. Based on articles retrieved from PubMed and independent food science research, multiple studies have confirmed the presence of microplastics in commercially sold olive oil.
A study analyzing commercial vegetable oils from Italy and Spain — including extra virgin olive oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, and mixed seed oils — found a mean microplastic abundance of 1,140 particles per liter across all samples. Most particles were fragments smaller than 100 micrometers, primarily composed of polyethylene and polypropylene. Critically, the study found no significant difference in microplastic abundance between oil types, meaning extra virgin olive oil showed similar contamination levels to lower-grade oils.
A separate Italian study using Laser Direct InfraRed imaging — a highly sensitive spectroscopic technique — detected multiple types of microplastics in all extra virgin olive oil samples tested, including oils collected directly from Tuscan olive mills and from large-scale retail distribution. The researchers noted that production practices and supply chain management appear to influence contamination levels, though further research is needed to fully characterize this relationship.
A third study specifically investigating microplastic release from PET plastic bottles into edible oil found that thermal stress — oil stored at 40°C for 10 days, simulating warm storage or transport conditions — caused measurable release of plastic particles from PET bottles into the oil. The researchers noted that oil and fat-rich food matrices lead to the highest rate of migration from plastic packaging due to hydrophobic interaction, making edible oils particularly susceptible.
Where Do Microplastics in Olive Oil Come From?
This is the most nuanced part of the research — and where the findings are more complex than a simple "avoid plastic bottles" takeaway.
The Italian study found microplastics in olive oil collected directly from mills, before any plastic packaging contact. This suggests contamination begins earlier in the supply chain — potentially from plastic components in harvesting equipment, processing tubing, machinery, and storage tanks used during production. The olives themselves may also carry microplastics from environmental exposure in the grove.
However, the PET bottle study confirms that prolonged storage in plastic packaging does add to contamination over time, particularly under warm conditions. Research tracking plasticizer contamination across the entire production process found that concentrations progressively increased at each stage, and that plastic-packaged samples showed significantly higher contamination after 18 months of storage compared to glass.
In short, microplastics in olive oil originate from multiple points in the production and distribution chain — not solely from consumer packaging. But packaging choice, particularly for long-term storage, remains a meaningful variable.
Is This Unique to Olive Oil?
No. Microplastics have been detected across a wide range of foods, including bottled water, beer, seafood, honey, table salt, and many other edible oils. The olive oil findings are consistent with broader contamination throughout the global food supply.
What makes olive oil worth paying particular attention to is its fat content. Plastic compounds — including both microplastic particles and chemical plasticizers like phthalates and BPA — migrate preferentially into fatty foods. The same lipophilic properties that make olive oil nutritionally valuable also make it more susceptible to absorbing compounds from plastic it contacts. This is not a reason to avoid olive oil — it is a reason to be thoughtful about how it is packaged and stored.
What Does This Mean for Your Health?
The honest answer is that the long-term health effects of microplastic ingestion through food are still being studied. The scientific community has not yet established clear dose-response relationships for dietary microplastic exposure. What is known is that microplastic particles can carry chemical contaminants, that smaller particles can cross biological barriers in the body, and that chronic exposure is associated with concerning biological effects in laboratory studies.
The precautionary principle applies here. Minimizing unnecessary microplastic exposure through packaging choices is a reasonable, evidence-informed decision — particularly for a product like olive oil that you use every day.
What Can You Actually Do About It?
Choose dark glass over plastic. Glass is chemically inert. It does not leach microplastic particles, phthalates, or BPA into the oil it contains. While production-stage contamination exists regardless of final packaging, choosing glass eliminates the ongoing migration that occurs during storage, which becomes significant over months on a shelf. Read our full post on why plastic bottles are a poor choice for olive oil.
Avoid squeeze bottles. Soft plastic squeeze bottles are made with high concentrations of plasticizers to achieve their flexibility — exactly the compounds most likely to migrate into oil. They also introduce oxygen every time you use them, degrading polyphenol content. Polyphenols are the primary source of olive oil's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits — protecting them matters. For a full breakdown of container types, read our olive oil packaging comparison: glass vs. plastic vs. tin.
Buy fresh and store properly. The longer olive oil sits in any container, the greater the cumulative exposure to whatever contaminants are present. Buying fresh oil with a clear harvest date and using it within a reasonable timeframe reduces both microplastic exposure and oxidation risk. Store it in a cool, dark place away from heat sources.
Buy from producers who are transparent about their process. The Italian research suggests that production practices influence contamination levels. Producers who minimize plastic contact throughout their production process will likely yield oil with lower baseline contamination. Read our guide to buying high-quality olive oil here.
Why EXAU Uses Heavy Dark Glass
Every bottle of EXAU olive oil is packaged in heavy dark glass — each bottle weighs approximately two pounds. We chose dark glass for the same reasons the research supports: it is chemically inert, it does not leach particles or compounds into the oil, and the dark tint blocks UV light that degrades polyphenols and accelerates oxidation.
We cannot control every variable in the production process — no producer can. But we can control what we put our oil into and how we handle it after pressing. Our oil is held in temperature-controlled conditions in our US warehouse until it ships directly to your door. No distributor split, no months on a grocery store shelf under fluorescent lights. The supply chain is where most olive oil loses its quality — and where packaging exposure accumulates.
This is not a marketing position. It is a straightforward response to what the science shows about how packaging and storage conditions affect what ends up in the bottle you open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all olive oils contain microplastics?
Based on current research, yes — microplastics have been detected in all commercially tested olive oil samples, including extra virgin olive oil collected directly from mills before plastic packaging contact. This reflects broader environmental contamination throughout the food system, not a problem unique to olive oil or any specific brand.
Does plastic packaging cause microplastics in olive oil?
It contributes to them, particularly during prolonged storage. Research shows contamination begins during production, but plastic-packaged samples show significantly higher microplastic and plasticizer levels after 18 months compared to glass. Packaging choice matters, especially for long-term storage.
Is it safe to eat olive oil with microplastics?
The long-term health effects of dietary microplastic ingestion are still being studied. The research to date is concerning enough to warrant minimizing unnecessary exposure where possible — but it is not a reason to stop consuming extra virgin olive oil, which has extensive documented health benefits.
What is the safest way to store olive oil to minimize microplastic exposure?
Dark glass stored in a cool, dark place and used within a reasonable timeframe after purchase. Avoid soft plastic squeeze bottles and clear plastic containers, especially for long-term storage or in warm conditions. Read our guide on olive oil shelf life here.
Are microplastics in olive oil regulated?
Not specifically. There are no established regulatory limits for microplastics in food in the EU or US as of 2025. Chemical plasticizers like phthalates and BPA are regulated as food contact materials, but microplastic particles themselves remain largely outside current food safety frameworks. This is an active area of regulatory attention globally.
Shop our 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil, bottled in heavy dark glass, direct-to-consumer from our family's groves in Calabria.
We wrote a book called The Olive Oil Enthusiast. Order your copy today.
You May Also Like:
Why You Should Never Store Olive Oil in a Plastic Bottle
Olive Oil Packaging: Glass vs. Plastic vs. Tin
How to Store Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 5 Rules to Keep It Fresh
Learned something new? Leave a comment below. If you share on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook, tag us and use #EXAUoliveoil so we can repost.
Leave a comment