A group of French doctors are warning about a major hidden danger in daily diet: contamination with cadmium, a heavy metal carcinogen present in soil and absorbed by crops through phosphate fertilizers.
Bread, cereals, pasta, and potatoes – considered staple foods – are the main sources of exposure to this toxic substance, which accumulates in the body over time and causes serious diseases.
The French Health Professionals Association (URPS) draws attention to the fact that children are the most affected. In their case, the incidence of diets with excessive cadmium content reaches 14% for ages 3-17 and rises to 36% for children under 3 years old.
Food alert, rapid measures are required
Doctors are calling for urgent measures from authorities, such as changing school menus, promoting organic foods, and monitoring exposure among vulnerable patients.
Although the European Union has set a limit of 60 mg/kg of cadmium in phosphate fertilizers, researchers say this limit is insufficient. Despite being the main consumer in the EU, France has not imposed stricter limits.
Between 2000 and 2022, Italy reported the most alerts regarding cadmium contamination, followed by Spain, Germany, and France.
Serious and delayed effects on health
Cadmium is associated with cancer forms such as pancreatic, lung, prostate, and kidney, but also with cardiovascular, renal, neurological, and fertility conditions.
"The metal persists and accumulates in the body over the years," warn French doctors, calling for awareness campaigns and concrete actions to reduce population exposure.