NEW DELHI, Dec 19: The Global Mind Project Rapid Report 2025 by Sapien Labs has brought out some glaring and significant relationship between mind health and cognitive wellbeing of people due to consumption of food from plastic containers and materials.
This report provides a first glimpse into the negative association of frequency of consumption of food drinks packaged in plastic containers or eating hot food out of plastic containers with mind health.
This negative association was present across all tested dimensions of mental function. With frequent consumption of food/drinks packaged in plastic containers prevalent across the world, and particularly in younger age groups, this may represent a significant contributor to the growing mind health burden.
The Rapid Report 2025 has revealed that frequent consumption of plastic-packaged food is linked to lower mind health and cognitive wellbeing. Individuals who rarely or never consumed food/drinks from plastic containers scored an average MHQ (Mind Health Quotient) of 79, while daily consumers dropped to 54.
For hot food in plastic, the drop was even sharper – from 74 (rarely/never) to 50 (daily). The effect goes beyond diet quality. Even after controlling for ultra-processed food intake, the negative association with plastic consumption persists, indicating a direct link to cognitive wellbeing rather than just the type of food consumed.
All dimensions of mind health and cognitive functioning are affected with daily plastic consumption is associated with declines across all six MHQ dimensions – Mood & Outlook, Drive & Motivation, Cognition, Social Self, Adaptability & Resilience, and Mind-Body Connection – showing a broad and diffuse impact on overall mental functioning.
Young adults are the most affected. Frequent consumption is widespread across age groups but peaks among 18-24-year-olds, who often rely on delivery meals and on-the-go eating.
Weekly use of plastic food containers is common worldwide, with East and South-East Asia, North America, and Western Europe showing the highest consumption. East and South-East Asia also report the highest rates of hot food consumption from plastic containers.
With the increasing reliance on plastic packaging and hot-food delivery across QSRs, cloud kitchens, and the wider F&B ecosystem, these findings highlight potential implications for consumer cognitive wellbeing and long-term engagement with food brands.
The insights could spark important conversations around packaging choices, delivery practices, and future-ready strategies for the industry.
Approximately 40 per cent of plastics produced since the 1950s have been used for packaging, and, among them, 41 per cent specifically for the packaging of food and drinks. The frequent use of plastic containers for foods and drinks can be attributed to their low cost, versatility, and ability to facilitate food hygiene, transportation, and preservation.
However, packaging-derived microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) (tiny plastic particles), bisphenols, and plasticizers (such as phthalates) have been shown to migrate from plastic containers into foods and beverages, including meat, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and water. In addition, the migration of MNPs and chemicals from packaging into food products may be accelerated by heating.
“About half the modern world eats hot food from plastic containers every week, enough to raise real concern about the impact on mental health. Rates are highest in East Asia (nearly 70 per cent), followed by South-East Asia and North America. While further research is still needed to fully understand how microplastics are affecting the brain, these findings are yet another reason to limit how much you eat and drink from plastic containers. Carrying a stainless-steel water bottle and making sure you do not microwave food in plastic containers are two easy places to start,” says Tara Thiagarajan, founder and chief scientist at Sapien Labs. (UNI)
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