Doctors Raise Alarm Over Widespread Presence of Toxic Metal Cadmium in Food

04 June 2025

French broadcaster TF1 reports that the Unions of Regional Health Professionals – URPS-Médecins libéraux –, an association of general practitioners, have raised the alarm over cadmium, a toxic and carcinogenic metal found in many everyday foodstuffs. Health professionals are urging swift regulatory action to mitigate this threat.

Cadmium, a naturally occurring contaminant that spreads through industrial and agricultural activity, enters the food chain through plant roots. It accumulates in the human body primarily through diet. Recent investigations have revealed its presence in staple foods such as cereals, bread, pasta, potatoes, and other root vegetables. A broadcast this January on M6’s Zone Interdite programme found cadmium in all 41 types of bread tested.

The French public health agency, Santé Publique France, has linked cadmium to a rise in pancreatic cancer. The national food safety agency, Anses, has also raised warnings since 2019. In 2020, it reported that one in four samples of edible seaweed commonly used in Japanese cuisine contained cadmium levels exceeding the recommended safety levels.

Anses has repeatedly called for cadmium levels in food to be reduced “as low as possible” to prevent overexposure. The agency warns that cadmium is not only carcinogenic but also mutagenic and toxic to reproduction. Long-term exposure can lead to kidney damage, bone fragility, and increased risk of osteoporosis and fractures.

A 2011 dietary study of the French population revealed that 36% of children under three, 15% of children aged three to seven, and 0.6% of adults exceeded the European Food Safety Authority’s tolerable intake level of 0.36 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day.