NEW DELHI, India — People who consume higher amounts of industrially processed foods and beverages containing preservatives may face an increased risk of cancer, according to a new study published in The BMJ.
The study found that higher intake of several commonly used preservatives — particularly non-antioxidant additives such as potassium sorbate, potassium metabisulfite, sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate, and acetic acid — was associated with a higher risk of developing cancer compared with non-consumers or those with lower intake levels.
Researchers reported that total sorbates, especially potassium sorbate, were linked to a 14 per cent increased risk of overall cancer and a 26 per cent higher risk of breast cancer. Total sulfites were associated with a 12 per cent increase in overall cancer risk.
Sodium nitrite intake was linked to a 32 per cent higher risk of prostate cancer, while potassium nitrate was associated with a 13 per cent increased risk of overall cancer and a 22 per cent higher risk of breast cancer.
The study also found that total acetates were associated with a 15 per cent increase in overall cancer risk and a 25 per cent increase in breast cancer risk. Acetic acid alone was linked to a 12 per cent higher risk of overall cancer.
Among antioxidant preservatives, only total erythorbates and sodium erythorbate were found to be associated with a higher incidence of cancer.
“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,” said the research team from Université Paris Cité in France.
“At the individual level, public health guidance is already more definitive about the reduction of processed meat and alcohol intake, offering actionable steps even as evidence on the carcinogenic effects of preservatives is evolving,” the researchers added.
While further studies are needed to better understand the potential risks, the authors noted that several of the compounds examined can alter immune and inflammatory pathways, which may contribute to cancer development.
The study analyzed data from 105,260 participants aged 15 years and older who were cancer-free at the start of the research. A total of 17 individual preservatives were examined, including citric acid, lecithins, total sulfites, ascorbic acid, sodium nitrite, potassium sorbate, sodium erythorbate, sodium ascorbate, potassium metabisulfite, and potassium nitrate.
During the follow-up period, 4,226 participants were diagnosed with cancer, including 1,208 breast cancer cases, 508 prostate cancer cases, 352 colorectal cancer cases, and 2,158 cases of other cancers. (Source: IANS)
