Is it safe to buy cheese pre-wrapped in plastic?
Use caution with cheese wrapped tightly in plastic. Buy smaller amounts and move opened cheese into glass storage.
What's actually in it
Pre-wrapped cheese can sit against plastic film or plastic packaging for a long time. Cheese is fatty, so packaging contact is worth reducing when you can.
The goal is not to worry over one block of cheese. The better habit is to buy what you will use, then store opened cheese away from plastic wrap.
What the research says
A 2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials total diet study found plasticizers in 85% of analyzed food samples. It also found packaging type affected some plasticizer levels.
A 2026 Food Research International study tested three commercial white cheese samples and detected 40 to 50 microplastic particles per 100 g. The authors noted packaging materials and environmental factors as possible contributors.
These studies do not prove every wrapped cheese has the same level. They do support a simple choice: lower long plastic contact with fatty dairy when it is easy.
Buy smaller blocks, skip individually wrapped slices when you can, and move opened cheese into glass storage.
The research at a glance
What to use instead
For opened cheese, use glass storage instead of keeping the cut surface pressed against plastic wrap.
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