general
ANSES warns French population faces concerning cadmium exposure from food
France health agency ANSES says common foods are causing prolonged cadmium exposure with cancer and kidney risks and calls for urgent limits on fertiliser cadmium to reduce contamination.
Mar 25th 2026 ยท France
Insights
- ANSES finds concerning cadmium levels at all ages, including early childhood.
- Food is the main source of cadmium for non-smokers, accounting for up to 98 percent of exposure.
- Most contaminated foods include breakfast cereals, breads and pastries, pasta, rice, potatoes and certain vegetables.
- Smoking and vaping add a significant extra source of cadmium exposure for smokers.
- Cadmium is carcinogenic and prolonged exposure can harm reproduction, kidneys and bones.
- ANSES urges action at the source, calling for stricter limits on cadmium in agricultural soils and fertilisers and recommending a maximum of 20 mg/kg in phosphate fertilisers, versus current French and EU limits of 90 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg respectively.
- ANSES warns that if current exposure levels persist without action, long term adverse health effects are likely for a growing segment of the population.