Flexible pouch or laminate sachet
High releaseMulti-layer plastic and foil laminate
The short answer
Worse than the can it often replaces. Food sits directly against a polymer layer and the whole sealed assembly is then heat-sterilised, combining direct contact with the most migration-favourable moment in production.
What actually drives release
- Direct food contact with an inner polymer layer
- Retort processing applied after sealing
- Very high surface-area-to-volume ratio
When it gets worse
- Contents are oily, such as pouched tuna
- Heated in the pouch, as with rice and baby food pouches
- Baby and toddler food, where intake per kilogram of body weight is highest
Better options
- Glass jar
- Lined can
- Home-prepared from fresh
Where you'll find it
Products scored in this format
Each carries its own exposure score, evidence grade and sources.
Microwave rice pouch
Multi-layer plastic pouch, heated with the rice inside it
Grade B · 76%
Slow cooker liner
Heat-resistant nylon bag
Grade C · 60%
Baby food pouch
Multi-layer plastic and foil laminate with a polypropylene spout
Grade B · 74%
Pouched tuna
Multi-layer plastic and foil retort pouch
Grade C · 62%
Toothpaste tube
Multi-layer plastic and aluminium laminate with a polypropylene cap
Grade C · 55%
Search the full product database →
Scan what you actually buy
Packaging changes the answer more than the brand does. Scan your product with MicroPlastics for a 0–100 exposure score and a lower-plastic version of the same thing.
Scan my productFrequently Asked Questions
Do food pouches leach microplastics?
What makes flexible pouch or laminate sachet worse?
What should I use instead of flexible pouch or laminate sachet?
Sources
- Earth Action with rePurpose Global (2026). Microplastic migration from food and beverage packaging (reported May 2026). Forbes.
- Qian N, Gao X, Lang X, et al. (2024). Rapid single-particle chemical imaging of nanoplastics by SRS microscopy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
- Winkler A, Santo N, Ortenzi MA, et al. (2022). Does mechanical stress cause microplastic release from plastic water bottles?. Water Research.
- Hernandez LM, Xu EG, Larsson HCE, et al. (2019). Plastic teabags release billions of microparticles and nanoparticles into tea. Environmental Science & Technology.