Nanoplastics Linked to Salmonella Risk in Food Safety Study

Researchers find nanoplastics can induce behavioral changes in Salmonella, raising concerns about food safety and antibiotic resistance.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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A new study from researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign examined the interaction between nanoplastics and the foodborne pathogen Salmonella enterica. They found that initial exposure to nanoplastics caused Salmonella to become more virulent, expressing more genes related to virulence and forming thicker biofilms. However, prolonged exposure led the bacteria to switch to a defensive mode, conserving resources. The researchers are also investigating whether nanoplastics can trigger antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella, though they caution against sounding the alarm on plastic use given its benefits in food packaging.

Why it matters

Salmonella is a major foodborne pathogen often found in meat, poultry, and ready-to-eat foods. As plastic products shed microplastics and nanoplastics throughout the food supply chain, understanding how these tiny particles interact with pathogens like Salmonella is crucial for ensuring food safety and public health. The potential for nanoplastics to induce virulence and antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella raises concerning implications.

The details

The researchers examined the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on Salmonella enterica, a common foodborne pathogen. They found that initial exposure to the nanoplastics caused Salmonella to become more virulent, with increased expression of virulence-related genes and the formation of thicker protective biofilms. However, prolonged exposure led the bacteria to switch to a defensive mode, conserving resources. The researchers are also investigating whether nanoplastics can trigger antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella, though they note more research is needed to fully understand the risks and benefits of plastic use in food packaging.

  • The study was published on February 27, 2026.

The players

Pratik Banerjee

Associate professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and senior author of the study.

Jayita De

Graduate student in Banerjee's lab and lead author on the paper.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The institution where the research was conducted.

Salmonella enterica

A major foodborne pathogen that was the focus of the study.

Polystyrene

A commonly used plastic material for food packaging and disposable utensils that was examined in the study.

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What they’re saying

“Salmonella enterica is a major foodborne pathogen that is often found in meat, poultry, and ready-to-eat food. We are testing ground turkey from grocery stores in our lab for a study on food safety, and finding that it is frequently positive for Salmonella. If you cook the meat properly, you should not have a problem. However, ground turkey is often packaged in plastic, and we wanted to explore how Salmonella react when they come into contact with plastic polymers.”

— Pratik Banerjee, Associate professor

“We examined the physiology of Salmonella in response to nanoplastics, and we found an increased expression of virulence-related genes. The bacteria also formed thicker biofilms, which further indicates they are becoming more virulent.”

— Jayita De, Graduate student

“When the bacteria first encounter nanoplastic particles, they go into offensive mode and become more virulent. But after a while, they start losing their resources and energy, so they switch to defensive mode, which allows them to persist in the environment for a longer time. If the concentration of nanoplastics rises, they can again switch to an offensive mode. It's a trade-off between offense and defense.”

— Jayita De, Graduate student

“Any compound that puts physiological stress on the bacteria can trigger antimicrobial resistance. Nanoplastics are not antimicrobials, but mere exposure to them could convert bacteria that previously were not resistant to a particular antibiotic in a process called cross-resistance.”

— Pratik Banerjee, Associate professor

“However, we don't want to sound the alarm and advocate that people stop using plastics. Plastic packaging provides a lot of benefits, such as reducing food spoilage and waste while keeping expenses low. We don't know yet whether this is something we should be worried about.”

— Pratik Banerjee, Associate professor

What’s next

The researchers are continuing to study the potential for nanoplastics to induce antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella, as initial findings indicate the plastic particles can cause the bacteria to increase the expression of antimicrobial-resistant genes.

The takeaway

This study highlights the need for further research into the interactions between nanoplastics and foodborne pathogens like Salmonella, as the potential for these tiny plastic particles to increase virulence and antimicrobial resistance raises significant food safety concerns. However, the researchers caution against overstating the risks, as plastic packaging also provides important benefits in reducing food waste and spoilage.