Nearly Half of French Adults Exposed to Dangerous Levels of Carcinogenic Cadmium

France's food safety agency warned on March 25, 2026, that nearly half of the country's adult population exceeds safe exposure levels for cadmium, a carcinogenic heavy metal that accumulates in the body through everyday foods such as bread, pasta, potatoes and cereals. Anses published the findings on Wednesday following a two-year study described as the first comprehensive assessment of cadmium exposure across the French population throughout life. 47.6 (%) — share of French adults exceeding cadmium toxicological reference values Géraldine Carne, a toxicologist and coordinator of the report, told a press conference that French exposure levels reach up to three or four times those recorded in comparable European countries. Food accounts for up to 98 percent of cadmium exposure in non-smokers, the agency said, with staple products including breakfast cereals, bread, pastries, pasta, rice and potatoes identified as the primary contributors. Anses described the situation as "concerning" and called for action that was "rapid and determined."

„Nearly half of the adult population [47.6 percent] exceeds the toxicological reference values.” — Géraldine Carne via RFI

Cadmium is a heavy metal naturally present in soils, with certain French regions built on limestone geology — including Champagne, Jura and Charente — recording naturally elevated baseline levels. Its concentration in agricultural land increases through the use of phosphate-based fertilizers, which are widely spread on fields to support crop growth. Studies conducted over several decades have shown rising exposure levels in France, consistently placing the country above its European neighbors. Cadmium is classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic for reproduction, and the body eliminates it with difficulty, meaning it accumulates over a lifetime.

Fertilizers drive contamination three to four times European peers The primary driver of contamination, according to Anses, is the use of phosphate mineral fertilizers in agriculture, which introduce cadmium into soils from which crops then absorb the metal through their roots. The agency noted that current regulatory limits for cadmium in food are "not sufficiently protective" and called for them to be lowered. Anses specifically recommended applying stricter cadmium limits in phosphate fertilizers as soon as possible, proposing a maximum of 20 (mg/kg) — proposed new cadmium limit in phosphate fertilizers milligrams per kilogram, compared with the current limit of 90 milligrams per kilogram in France and 60 milligrams per kilogram in the European Union. The agency also warned that if current exposure levels are maintained and no measures are adopted, negative long-term health effects are likely to increase across a growing share of the population. Anses called for action across the entire agricultural sector, and not only from farmers, urging reductions in cadmium inputs from fertilizers, livestock waste and sewage sludge. Soil remediation, experts noted, will take years regardless of the measures adopted, because cadmium accumulates durably in the ground.

Cadmium limits in phosphate fertilizers: Maximum cadmium in phosphate fertilizers (before: 90 mg/kg (France current) / 60 mg/kg (EU current), after: 20 mg/kg (Anses proposed limit))

France: 4, Belgium: 1, England: 1, Italy: 1

Women and children face heightened risk from iron deficiency link Pierre Souvet, a cardiologist and president of the Association Santé et Environnement France, highlighted particular vulnerability among women, children and pregnant women. When a protein responsible for transporting metals from the digestive tract into the body lacks iron, zinc or copper, cadmium takes their place — a mechanism that disproportionately affects women, of whom 25 percent suffer from iron deficiency, notably due to menstrual cycles. Women show on average 0.68 micrograms of cadmium in urine compared with 0.47 micrograms in men, according to Souvet. The Esteban study cited by Souvet found that children aged 6 to 10 now have cadmium levels almost equivalent to those of adults recorded ten years ago, suggesting an acceleration of contamination from the youngest age. Smokers face additional exposure because tobacco itself contains cadmium, making smoking cessation a public health priority in this context. Souvet advised individuals to have their ferritin levels measured and, in cases of iron deficiency, to consult a doctor.

„Women are more contaminated because, when ingesting foods containing cadmium (such as potatoes or bread), a protein transports metals from the digestive tract into the body. If this protein lacks other metals such as iron, zinc or copper, cadmium takes their place.” — Pierre Souvet via BFMTV

Legumes ten times less contaminated than cereals, agency says Anses acknowledged that individual consumers have limited room for action given how broadly contamination is distributed across the food supply, and stated it was "not relevant to formulate recommendations in terms of individual choices" as a primary strategy. Nevertheless, the agency suggested reducing consumption of wheat-based products with low nutritional value, such as breakfast cereals, cakes and biscuits, and encouraged a shift toward legumes such as lentils and chickpeas, which it described as ten times less contaminated than cereals. Chocolate, frequently cited for its cadmium content, was characterized by Carne as only a "minor contributor" because, despite higher contamination levels per unit, it is consumed in smaller quantities than cereal-based staples. Carne noted that a wide range of foods carry cadmium contamination, including vegetables, cereal products, potatoes, certain seafood and chocolate. The agency's broader recommendations focused on systemic change — reducing cadmium inputs at the agricultural source — rather than placing the burden of risk management on individual consumers. Anses urged the government to act "at the source" by lowering legal limits for cadmium in fertilizing materials "as soon as possible."

„We have a wide range of foods that are contaminated with cadmium. This is the case for vegetables, cereal products, potatoes, certain seafood products or, even more well known, chocolate.” — Géraldine Carne via Franceinfo