Pastries, cordon bleu, crackers… Beware of these industrial food products containing emulsifiers. These additives, among the most common in the food industry, are used to improve the texture, color or durability of products. According to the Open Food Facts database, more than half of the processed foods we eat contain it.
In a February 13 study, French scientists from Inserm revealed that additive emulsifiers increase the risk of cancer by 15%, especially of the breast and prostate.
More than 2,600 cancers have been diagnosed
Researchers looked at the health data of 92,000 adults (mean age 45, including 79% women) “participating in the NutriNet-Santé French cohort study between 2009 and 2021.” During this period, 2,604 cancer cases were recorded, “including 750 breast cancers, 322 prostate cancers and 207 colorectal cancers,” they specify.
Two groups of additives were identified
And it seems that the presence of certain additives in the food consumed has something to do with it. Indeed, the analyzes showed that patients who had high levels of E471 (monoglycerides and diglycerides of fatty acids) in their bodies had a 15% higher risk of developing cancer, especially breast (+24%) and prostate (+46%). %) compared to people who had less. This emulsifier is the 7th most used ingredient and is listed in more than 14,000 food products in France, again according to Open Food Facts. It is particularly present in “Planta Fin” butters, “Pringles” chips, “Côte d’Or” brand chocolates and even “Magnum” ice creams.
Another group of isolated emulsifiers are E407 and E407a (carrageenans), which increase the risk of breast cancer by 32%. E407 is found in almost 10,000 food products such as “Elle&Vire” crème fraîches, “Mamie Nova” yogurts and “Danette” desserts. E407a is more “confidential”: it is “only” observed in 655 products, such as “Nestlé” ice creams or even “Maître Coq” cordon bleus.
Also read: Processed products: find out before you fill your basket