Some food preservatives linked to higher cancer, diabetes risk

Paris, France: Eating some common food preservatives is linked to a slightly higher risk of eventually developing cancer and diabetes, according to tw...

Paris, France: Eating some common food preservatives is linked to a slightly higher risk of eventually developing cancer and diabetes, according to two large French studies published Thursday.

However, outside experts called for more research and emphasised that these kinds of observational studies cannot demonstrate a direct cause-and-effect relationship.

The first study, published in the journal BMJ, said it observed "multiple associations between preservatives that are widely used in industrial foods and beverages on the European market and higher incidences of overall, breast and prostate cancers".

The preservatives included nitrites and nitrates, which are often used to cure ham and sausages.

The second study, published in Nature Communications, also found a link between eating some food additives and developing type 2 diabetes.