Food preservatives - still FDA approved - and cancer

A recent study, published by the BMJ, found an association between common food preservatives and cancer. 

Almost 80% of the participants were female. The average age was 42 years old. And 99.7% of the 105,260 participants consumed food additive preservatives. 

Furthermore, “higher consumers of total food preservatives (upper third) tended to be younger, less physically active, and less likely to have a family history of cancer, and they were likely to consume less alcohol and more ultra-processed foods and drinks.” 

This sounds scary to me, when I think about some of my own characteristics and habits. If you are like me, keep reading. 

The study was a prospective-cohort study – which basically means a large group of people were followed over a long period of time, AND their habits were tracked throughout the study. 

The most common preservatives that the participants consumed were: 

• Citric acid

• Lecithins 

• Total sulfites

• Ascorbic acid 

• Sodium nitrate 

• Potassium sorbate 

• Sodium erythorbate 

• Sodium ascorbate

• Potassium metabisulfite 

• Potassium nitrate 

Many of these preservatives are found in: 

• Processed/cured meats

• Cheeses

• Beverages (alcoholic, soda, fruit drinks)

• Baked goods

• Cereals 

• Canned foods

• Sauces/dressings

• Some whole grains

• Processed fruits and vegetables

Now here’s the scary part, “higher intakes of several preservatives were associated with higher cancer incidence” and 4,226 of the participants eventually received a diagnosis for cancer.  

So, which preservative caused the greatest risk? 

In order to best understand the results, let me first explain two important terms.

Hazard ratio: A # that tells us how much more, or less, likely that something is to happen. 

Example) A hazard ratio of 1.32 means the risk is 32% higher than the comparison group in the study… which is exactly what they found with Sodium Nitrite. 

Absolute risk: Determines the actual % chance of getting cancer at a specific age. 

Example) If the absolute risk is 13.3%, this means that out of 100 people, about 13 would develop cancer by the specific age. 

With that in mind now, let’s look at the top five most dangerous preservatives:

1. Sodium Nitrite

Hazard ratio: 1.32 → 32% higher risk for developing cancer!

Absolute risk: 12.8% (higher consumers) vs. 12.2% (lower consumers) → Out of 100 people, 12 people would develop cancer.

2. Potassium Sorbate

Hazard ratio: 1.26

Absolute risk: 13.4% (higher consumers) vs. 11.8% (lower consumers) 

3. Potassium Nitrate

Hazard ratio: 1.13

Absolute risk: 14.0% (higher consumers) vs. 12.0% (lower consumers) 

4. Acetic Acid

Hazard ratio: 1.12

Absolute risk: 14.4% (higher consumers) vs. 12.4% (lower consumers) 

5. Sodium Erthorbate

Hazard ratio: 1.12

Absolute risk: 13.5% (higher consumers) vs. 11.9% (lower consumers) 

In conclusion, this prospective-cohort study confirms that there is an association between some food preservatives and higher cancer rates. 

What you can do NOW: 

1. Buy fresh foods more often

2. Choose products with shorter ingredient lists

3. Limit processed foods, especially processed meats

4. Eat more fruits and vegetables

References: 

Hasenbohler A, Javaux G, Payen de la Garanderie M, de Edelenyi F S, Yvroud-Hoyos P, Agaesse C et al. (2026, January) Intake of food additive preservatives and incidence of cancer: results from the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort BMJ 2026; 392 :e084917 doi:10.1136/bmj-2025-084917