Food colouring additives also linked to type 2 diabetes

27 May 2026

A study by the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), based on the NutriNet-Santé Prospective Cohort of over 100,000 individuals, has linked colouring additives to type 2 diabetes. These are typically used along with sugar and sweeteners in soda. The study now signals that colouring additives themselves can also increase risks of diabetes.

This is the first epidemiological study that quantifies dietary exposures to these additives and investigates the association with diabetes incidence. Previous research suggests that coloring additives may alter key molecular pathways involved in insulin signaling and inflammation.

Research suggests that coloring additives may alter key molecular pathways involved in insulin signaling and inflammation.

Associations with type 2 diabetes incidence were investigated for coloring additives consumed by at least 10% of study population. These included over thirty individual coloring additives.

The findings revealed associations between several food coloring additives and higher type 2 diabetes incidence. These are: plain caramel, sulfite ammonia caramel, carotenoids, β-carotene, paprika-capsanthin-capsorubin, lutein, curcumin, cochineal extract-carminic acid-carmines, and anthocyanins, as well as for total food coloring additives, total caramel, and total carotene.

Further studies are needed to gain insights into underlying mechanisms.