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:
Buy fresh foods more often
Choose products with shorter ingredient lists
Limit processed foods, especially processed meats
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
