PARIS (dpa-AFX) - A pair of long-term studies has found that the consumption of common food preservatives is linked to cancer and type 2 diabetes.
The NutriNet-Santé study in France was conducted among more than 100,000 participants without prevalent cancer over a period of 14 years.
Researchers found that six of the 17 preservatives consumed by the participants were linked to cancer.
The suspected carcinogenic preservatives are sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate, sorbates, potassium metabisulfite, acetates, and acetic acid.
The study found multiple positive associations between intake of preservatives widely used in industrial foods and higher cancer incidence. Mainly this was observed in those who have been diagnosed later with breast, colorectal and prostate cancer.
Sodium nitrite, a chemical salt commonly used in processed meats, was seen as the most dangerous, with a 32 percent increase in the risk of prostate cancer.
The results of the cancer study were published Wednesday in The BMJ journal.
The type 2 diabetes study looked weather consuming preservatives could lead to type 2 diabetes. Nearly 109,000 people who originally did not have the disease took part in the study.
Those who consumed significant amount of preservatives - 12 out of 17 included - were found to have nearly a 50 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Five of the same preservatives that caused cancer were found to be the villain in the case of type 2 diabetes too, in addition to calcium propionate. The other carcinogenic preservatives found in the research were potassium sorbate, potassium metabisulfite, sodium nitrite, acetic acid and sodium acetate.
The results of the diabetes study was published in the journal Nature Communications,
If confirmed, these new data call for the re-evaluation of regulations governing the food industry's use of these additives, to improve consumer protection. In the meantime, the findings support recommendations for consumers to develop a habit of consuming freshly made, minimally processed foods.
Adding preservative additives to foods has become a standard practice in today's food industry. In 2024, more than 20 percent of food items on the Open Food Facts World database contained at least one of these additives.
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