A team of researchers from Jahangirnagar University has recently found alarming levels of microplastics in five branded and two non-branded sugars in the local market.
On average they found 343.7 microplastic particles in every kilogram of sugar produced by these companies, collected from different super shops in Dhaka.
However, they did not reveal the names of the brands of sugars tested in the study.
Most particles were smaller than 300 micrometres and were black, pink, blue and brown. These particles included ABS, PVC, PET, EVA, CA, PTFE, HDPE, PC and nylon.
The research paper has been accepted for publication by the popular science journal "Science of the Total Environment", and it will be published very soon, according to the team.
But a version of the research can already be found online.
Dr Mostafizur Rahman, who led the team, told the media: “A recent study found the presence of microplastics in human blood. Now we have found evidence of their presence in sugar.”
The team had also been able to identify the sizes, chemical natures and shapes of these microplastics, he added.
Terming the presence of microplastics in the human body concerning, Mostafizur said data on how they affected our bodies was still very limited.
Microplastics were likely to be found in imported sugar as well, he warned, adding that people should be more aware of the issue.