The situation is deemed "worrying". On Wednesday 25 March, the French National Agency for Food Safety (Anses) warned that the French population is "heavily and increasingly impregnated" with cadmium, a heavy metal found in soils that contaminates the body mainly through food. This "overexposure", which often exceeds danger thresholds, requires "rapid and determined action" to limit the "harmful effects" on human health, the Anses argues in a report.
The result of a two-year study, the document reveals "for the first time" the extent and nature of French exposure to cadmium, according to its coordinator, Géraldine Carne. "Nearly half the adult population (47.6%) exceeds the toxicological reference values", the toxicologist told the press, referring to previous warnings issued by the agency since 2011.
Cadmium is a contaminant recognised as "carcinogenic", "mutagenic" and a cause of reproductive and neurodevelopmental disorders, as the Anses points out. Because it is not eliminated by the body, it accumulates in the body. "This toxic element is widely distributed in the organs", resulting in effects on the bones, kidneys, cardiovascular system, pancreas, bladder, prostate and breasts, insists Géraldine Carne. Nearly a quarter of all cases of osteoporosis are attributable to cadmium.
Farming practices are changing
Studies carried out over the decades have revealed rising rates in the population, with the situation particularly critical in France.
"French levels are up to three or four times higher than those in other countries such as Belgium, England and Italy," explains toxicologist Géraldine Carne.
For the specialist, such differences could be due to "greater use of certain agricultural inputs" and "higher consumption of cereal products, which are more contaminated".
Food accounts for "up to 98% of cadmium impregnation" in the population, with the exception of smokers, who are doubly exposed through smoking, according to the Anses. Most of the contamination on our plates comes from cereal products (bread, pasta, biscuits, etc.), potatoes and vegetables, all of which form the basis of our menus and are difficult to do without.
To reduce contamination of foodstuffs, the agency is calling for soil and farming practices to be targeted as a priority. It recommends lowering cadmium limits in fertilisers as a matter of urgency, with "a commitment from all players" in the sector, "and not just farmers". It also calls for an end to "dependence on phosphate mineral fertilisers", in particular by making greater use of the phosphorus already contained in the soil and by using agricultural varieties that "accumulate less cadmium".
As for foodstuffs on the shelves, particularly imported products, the French food safety agency (Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation) has criticised the regulatory maximum levels as "not sufficiently protective of consumer health". As a result, the thresholds for the products that are most widely consumed and contribute most to human contamination need to be "revised downwards". "Reinforced measures" to control and monitor the food chain are also called for.
Less cereals, more pulses
Faced with this public health issue, what can consumers do? The answer is slim, to the extent that it is "not appropriate to make recommendations in terms of individual choices", according to the report. Failing that, the Anses suggests a "reduction in the consumption of wheat-based foods" with "low nutritional value", such as breakfast cereals, cakes and sweet and savoury biscuits. Chocolate, which is often singled out for being "more contaminated" than other foods, is presented only as a "minor contributor" to our cadmium impregnation, and is not the subject of any specific recommendation.
As an alternative to pasta and potatoes, the Anses is encouraging a "rebalancing" in favour of pulses (lentils, chickpeas, etc.), which are "ten times less contaminated than cereals" and are recognised for their nutritional benefits. On the other hand, the agency is refraining from making any recommendations about organic farming products, in the absence of significant and consistent results from the tests carried out. The organic sector is "potentially just as affected as conventional farming", given the authorised use of certain cadmium-containing fertilisers, warns the Anses.
Source: A European Perspective, franceinfo
Originally published by Yann Thompson (France Télévisions) on 25 March 2026 05:36 GMT+1