Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41500678›Full record

Observational studyBMJ (Clinical research ed.)2026

Intake of food additive preservatives and incidence of cancer: results from the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort.

Anaïs Hasenböhler, Guillaume Javaux, Marie Payen de la Garanderie, Fabien Szabo de Edelenyi, Paola Yvroud-Hoyos, Cédric Agaësse, Alexandre De Sa, Inge Huybrechts, Fabrice Pierre, Marc Audebert and 10 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03335644 (The NutriNet-Santé Study. A Web-based Prospective Cohort Study of the Relationship Between Nutrition and Health and of Dietary Patterns and Nutritional Status Predictors), which is not on this map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT03335644 recruitingnot on this map

The NutriNet-Santé Study. A Web-based Prospective Cohort Study of the Relationship Between Nutrition and Health and of Dietary Patterns and Nutritional Status Predictors

TypeobservationalSponsorUniversity of Paris 13Ran2009 to 2029Enrolled170,000ConditionsDiet, Food, and Nutrition, Exercise, Diseases Category, Cohort Studies
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Anaïs HasenböhlerUniversité Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité, INSERM, INRAE, CNAM, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), F-93017 Bobigny, France.ORCID 0009-0008-3256-8836
Guillaume JavauxUniversité Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité, INSERM, INRAE, CNAM, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), F-93017 Bobigny, France.ORCID 0009-0001-9005-9094
Marie Payen de la GaranderieUniversité Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité, INSERM, INRAE, CNAM, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), F-93017 Bobigny, France.ORCID 0009-0006-9449-7805
Fabien Szabo de EdelenyiUniversité Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité, INSERM, INRAE, CNAM, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), F-93017 Bobigny, France.ORCID 0000-0002-8487-6557
Paola Yvroud-HoyosUniversité Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité, INSERM, INRAE, CNAM, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), F-93017 Bobigny, France.ORCID 0009-0000-9108-7305
Cédric AgaësseUniversité Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité, INSERM, INRAE, CNAM, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), F-93017 Bobigny, France.ORCID 0000-0002-6159-4717
Alexandre De SaUniversité Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité, INSERM, INRAE, CNAM, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), F-93017 Bobigny, France.
Inge HuybrechtsNutrition And Cancer Research Network (NACRe network), Jouy-en-Josas, France.ORCID 0000-0003-3838-855X
Fabrice PierreNutrition And Cancer Research Network (NACRe network), Jouy-en-Josas, France.ORCID 0000-0001-6106-8146
Marc AudebertNutrition And Cancer Research Network (NACRe network), Jouy-en-Josas, France.ORCID 0000-0001-7898-6912
Xavier CoumoulNutrition And Cancer Research Network (NACRe network), Jouy-en-Josas, France.ORCID 0000-0003-2928-9648
Chantal JuliaUniversité Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité, INSERM, INRAE, CNAM, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), F-93017 Bobigny, France.ORCID 0000-0003-2006-5269
Emmanuelle Kesse-GuyotUniversité Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité, INSERM, INRAE, CNAM, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), F-93017 Bobigny, France.ORCID 0000-0002-9715-3534
Benjamin AllèsUniversité Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité, INSERM, INRAE, CNAM, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), F-93017 Bobigny, France.ORCID 0000-0002-7970-171X
Valérie DeschampsNutritional Epidemiology Surveillance Team (ESEN), Santé publique France, The French Public Health Agency, Bobigny, France.ORCID 0000-0002-9000-0180
Serge HercbergUniversité Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité, INSERM, INRAE, CNAM, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), F-93017 Bobigny, France.ORCID 0000-0002-3168-1350
Benoit ChassaingNutrition And Cancer Research Network (NACRe network), Jouy-en-Josas, France.ORCID 0000-0002-4285-769X
Bernard SrourUniversité Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité, INSERM, INRAE, CNAM, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), F-93017 Bobigny, France.ORCID 0000-0002-1277-3380
Mélanie Deschasaux-TanguyUniversité Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité, INSERM, INRAE, CNAM, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), F-93017 Bobigny, France.ORCID 0000-0002-3359-420X
Mathilde TouvierUniversité Sorbonne Paris Nord and Université Paris Cité, INSERM, INRAE, CNAM, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), F-93017 Bobigny, France m.touvier@eren.smbh.univ-paris13.fr.ORCID 0000-0002-8322-8857

Funding

World Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo investigate the association between intake of food additive preservatives and cancer incidence in a large prospective cohort.

designProspective cohort.

settingFrench NutriNet-Santé cohort, 2009-23.

participants105 260 participants (≥15 years) without prevalent cancer who completed at least two 24 hour dietary records at baseline.

main outcome measuresCumulative time dependent intake of preservatives, including those in industrial food brands, assessed using repeated 24 hour dietary records and evaluated through multiple composition databases and ad hoc laboratory assays in food products for the most frequently consumed additive-food pairs. Associations between intake of three categories of preservatives (defined as sex specific thirds if preservative was consumed by at least a third of participants, otherwise defined as non-consumers and lower or higher consumers separated by the sex specific median) and cancer incidence were characterised using multivariable proportional hazards Cox models adjusted for potential confounders.

resultsMean age of participants was 42.0 years (standard deviation (SD 14.5) years), and 78.7% were women. 4226 participants received a diagnosis of incident cancer (mean follow-up 7.57 (SD 4.56) years), comprising 1208 breast, 508 prostate, 352 colorectal, and 2158 other cancers). Higher intakes of several preservatives were associated with higher cancer incidence: total non-antioxidants with overall cancer (hazard ratio for higher

conclusionMultiple positive associations between intake of preservatives widely used in industrial foods and higher cancer incidence (overall, breast, and prostate) were observed in this large prospective cohort. Epidemiology based on health effect biomarkers and experimental research are needed to gain insight into outcome pathways. If confirmed, these new data call for the re-evaluation of regulations governing the food industry's use of these additives, to improve consumer protection. In the meantime, the findings support recommendations for consumers to favour freshly made, minimally processed foods.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03335644.

Indexed as

Food PreservativesNeoplasmsAdultFemaleFranceHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesRisk FactorsFood Preservatives

Identifiers

PMID41500678
PMCPMC12776923

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.