08/01/2026
Interesting to see some good quality research carried out on preservatives. As the country that eats one if the highest levels of ready meals, we need to sit up and take note. Eat fresh, eat quality, eat local.
From today’s Telegraph.
Study finds preservatives used in baked goods associated with higher chance of getting breast cancer.
Bacon additives ‘raise prostate cancer risk’
Additives used to cure bacon could increase prostate cancer risk by a third, a study published in the British Medical Journal suggests.
The French study of more than 100,000 people looked at the impact of specific preservatives commonly used in processed foods.
Until now, experimental studies have suggested some can damage cells and DNA, but firm evidence is scarce.
The research, led by a team from the Sorbonne, found some types of preservatives were associated with a higher risk of getting specific forms of the disease.
Sodium nitrite, which can be used to cure bacon and ham, was associated with a 32 per cent increased risk of prostate cancer, while potassium nitrate was associated with a 22 per cent increased risk of breast cancer and a 13 per cent increased risk of cancer overall.
Sorbates often used in baked goods and soft cheeses were found to increase the risk of breast cancer by 26 per cent, and overall risk of cancer by 14 per cent.
Total acetates – used in baked goods, crisps and ready meals – were associated with a 25 per cent increased risk of breast cancer and a 15 per cent increased risk of cancer overall.
Preservatives are added to packaged foods to extend shelf life.
Researchers set out to examine the association between exposure to preservative food additives and risk of cancer in adults, using detailed dietary and health data from 2009-23.
In total, 105,260 participants enrolled in the NutriNet-Santé cohort study who were free of cancer and completed regular 24-hour brand-specific dietary records for up to 14 years.
Health questionnaires and official medical and death records were then used to track cancer cases up to Dec 31 2023.
During the follow-up period, 4,226 participants received a diagnosis of cancer, comprising 1,208 breast, 508 prostate, 352 colorectal, and 2,158 other cancers.
SIX ADDITIVES LINKED TO HIGHER CANCER RISK
A total of 17 individual preservatives were analysed including citric acid, lecithins, total sulphites, ascorbic acid, sodium nitrite, potassium sorbate, sodium erythorbate, sodium ascorbate, potassium metabisulfite, and potassium nitrate.
The researchers called for tougher regulations to govern the use of additives used in industrially processed foods.
Of the 17 individually studied preservatives, 11 were not associated with cancer incidence, and no link was found between total preservatives and cancer incidence.
However, higher intakes of several preservatives (mostly non-antioxidants including potassium sorbate, potassium metabisulfite, sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate, and acetic acid) were associated with higher risk of cancers compared with non-consumers or lower consumers.
The study was observational, meaning it could not prove cause and effect.
But researchers said several of these compounds can alter immune and inflammatory pathways, possibly triggering the development of cancer.
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They said consumers should favour “freshly made, minimally processed food” in light of the findings, adding: “This study brings new insights for the future re-evaluation of the safety of these food additives by health agencies, considering the balance between benefit and risk for food preservation and cancer.”
Independent experts said the findings were “an important contribution to work in the field” but said further studies were needed.
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