No cadmium, please: France wants fewer toxins in its baguettes

Cadmium contamination in food is worrying French authorities. Almost half of the population has levels of exposure to heavy metal above reference values. Breakfast cereals, bread and pastries are among the main vehicles of contamination.

France is preparing measures to prevent the population from ingesting excessive amounts of cadmiumafter a warning from the country’s health authorities, according to which breakfast cereals and baguettes could be contaminated with this heavy metal.

Cadmium (Cd) is a chemical element naturally present in the soil in low concentrations, especially in areas rich in limestone.

However, the concentration of this carcinogenic element can increase through deposits, including phosphate fertilizers used in the cultivation of plants that end up on consumers’ plates.

Almost half of the French population recorded, last year, levels of exposure to cadmium higher than reference values, the French National Health Security Agency (ANSES) warned in March.

The agency noted a “Worrying cadmium contamination across all age groups, from a very young age“.

For non-smokersthis contamination came mainly from the consumption of contaminated foodincluding breakfast cereals, breads, croissants and other baked goods, cookies, rice and potatoes, he said.

French doctors last year called on authorities to take action, saying women and children were most affectedand pointing the finger at “phosphate fertilizers with a lot of cadmium“.

The main French health authority warned in 2024 that “repeated exposure to low doses could be cause of multiple health effects: in the kidneys, in the bones, in the respiratory system, in the nervous system, in the cardiovascular system, in reproduction, and may also be carcinogenic”.

When inhaled, through smoking or in an industrial context, it can cause lung canceraccording to the World Health Organization.

Excessive ingestion of this toxin can also cause kidney cancer and prostate, according to the same organization.

What can be done?

French authorities are considering two ways of acting: test the population to obtain a more accurate assessment of the extent of contamination, and regulate fertilizers to limit the entry of new cadmium into soils.

As a first step, the country will soon introduce a subsidized test aimed at people residing in higher-risk areas, the Ministry of Health’s office announced.

The health authority recommended the test, which is expected to be introduced in the summer, to people living in regions rich in limestone or in proximity to around 7,000 former industrial sites. However, doctors may also recommend it outside these regions, the Ministry indicated.

Francois Blanchecottepresident of the Federation of Medical Analysis Laboratories of France, stated that the urine test, and eventually the blood test, will make it possible to determine whether someone is suffering from a “significant chronic intoxication“.

“It was really necessary to actA: Cadmium accumulates silently in the body and can end up causing serious problems”, he declared.

The toxicologist Robert Garnier emphasizes that reducing exposure is essential, since there is no medication capable of eliminating it from the body. “The top priority is reduce exposure of young children: not because there are risks for them today, but because they will age over time”, he stated.

“Even the cadmium accumulated in childhood will not have been completely eliminated when they are over 60 years old“, he added.

The cadmium content in soil in France is 0.25 mg/kg, only slightly higher than the European average of 0.20 mg/kg, according to a 2024 study of surface soils in the European Union.

Even so, some consumers are concernedand several petitions have emerged online in recent months demanding the government take action. In the European Union, the maximum limit allowed for these fertilizers is 60 mg/kg.

A bill, to be debated in parliament next month, aims to set the maximum limit of cadmium in fertilizers at 40 mg/kg by next year and at 20 mg/kg by 2030.

The National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment also recommended “limiting the use of synthetic fertilizers”, which it claims have already decreased by 70% compared to the 80s.

Doctors have been urging the government to promote the consumption of organic food products, especially in schools.