French people exposed to ‘concerning’ levels of cadmium, lead and aluminum through food

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/health/article/2026/02/13/french-people-exposed-to-concerning-levels-of-cadmium-lead-and-aluminum-through-food_6750450_14.html

18 Comments

  1. Cadmium in breakfast cereals, aluminum in pastries and sweet biscuits, lead in bread, mercury in fish and acrylamide in fries and sautéed potatoes: French people – children in particular – are exposed to “excessively high” levels of chemical pollutants through their diet. The warning comes from the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), which highlighted a “health risk” for three metals (cadmium, aluminum and mercury) and a “health concern” – in the absence of a reference toxicological threshold – for lead and acrylamide, an organic compound formed during cooking methods above 120°C (such as frying or roasting).

    These conclusions are based on the third major total diet study (EAT3), the previous one having been conducted between 2006 and 2011. The study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of chronic exposure to chemical contaminants in food among the population of France. The first results were published on Thursday, February 12. EAT3 targeted more than 250 substances. Further sections, covering other pollutant families (including pesticide residues, PFAS, bisphenols, phthalates, etc.), will be released gradually in the coming years.

    The foods selected for the study (272 in total) represented more than 90% of the average French diet. Over 700 samples were collected between May 2021 and August 2022 from supermarkets and markets in three departments (Hérault on the Mediterranean coast, Loiret south of Paris, and Puy-de-Dôme in the center of France). These were analyzed in laboratories to identify and quantify chemical contaminants. The results were then combined with food consumption data to estimate population exposure and health risks.

    Read more about the concerning levels of cadmium in French foods at this link: [https://www.lemonde.fr/en/health/article/2026/02/13/french-people-exposed-to-concerning-levels-of-cadmium-lead-and-aluminum-through-food_6750450_14.html](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/health/article/2026/02/13/french-people-exposed-to-concerning-levels-of-cadmium-lead-and-aluminum-through-food_6750450_14.html)

  2. Is this why I find im always sweating out the back of my head at night when I spend time in France? I put in a concerted effort to eat clean and organic and it still seems to happen…

  3. And here the sad quips come. It’s kinda serious.

    Imagine how we can improve ourselves for a minute.

    Or we could lick gold leafed wood projects from a mass factory like little Trump did, or just, you know, be human beings who’d like to see our children thrive, survive and do something better than us.

  4. If those level are high (for ANSES) in France, I would be curious to compare the results on a more environment laxist country like china, india, USA or brazil with same level of checking

  5. grosslytransparent on

    Moved from USA to europe near france. French products dont even come close to how bad USA foods are.

  6. Living in the modern world feels like trusting that whoever makes your food cares enough not to poison you, hopefully, pretty please ?

  7. Chem trails have same chemicals spray in the sky, lands on ground, food. Breath that fresh air…