Food processing/contact materials and cancer risk – NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort
Abstract
Background: Food processing/contact materials contaminate food with substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), but their long-term role in cancer development remains unclear. This study investigated the associations between dietary exposures to these contaminants, alone and in mixtures, and cancer incidence in the French NutriNet-Santé cohort.
Methods: We assessed cumulative time-dependent exposures to 51 food contaminants using repeated 24h-dietary records from 103,212 participants (78.6% women, mean age=42.1 y, SD = 14.5) of the NutriNet-Santé cohort (2009-2024), and quantitative analyses in food matrices from the French total diet study 2 (2006-2009). Associations between contaminant exposures (sex-specific tertiles) and cancer incidence were characterized using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for known risk factors. Mixtures effects were explored using sparse PLS-Cox models.
Results: Over a median follow-up time of 7.9 y, 4,438 incident cases of cancer were ascertained. Higher exposure to dietary BFRs was associated with increased incidence of overall (HRT3 vs. T1=1.11, 95% CI[1.02-1.20], ptrend=0.02), colorectal (1.47[1.12-1.93],ptrend=0.002) and obesity-related cancers (1.23[1.10-1.37],poverall<0.001). Total PFAS (1.25[1.00-1.58],poverall=0.048) and total PAHs (1.21[1.02-1.43],ptrend=0.03) were associated with higher breast cancer incidence. 20 contaminants were associated with at least one cancer location. Sparse PLS-Cox models identified contaminants mixtures most associated with each specific cancer.
Conclusions: This large prospective cohort study suggests a potential role for food contaminants such as PFAS, PAHs and BFRs, in cancer development, which is supported by previous in vivo/in vitro experiments showing their interference in key carcinogenesis mechanisms. These elements advocate for stronger regulations, pending further confirmation.
Key messages: • This large prospective cohort study suggests a potential role for food contaminants such as PFAS, PAHs and BFRs, in cancer development.
• These elements advocate for stronger regulations, pending further confirmation.
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BibTeX
@article{folcalvez2026food,
title = {{Food processing/contact materials and cancer risk – NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort}},
author = {X Le Folcalvez and A Hasenböhler and M Payen de la Garanderie and X Coumoul and JB Fini and F Pierre and J Muncke and M Deschasaux-Tanguy and B Srour and M Touvier},
journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.928},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.928},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Food processing/contact materials and cancer risk – NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort
AU - X Le Folcalvez
AU - A Hasenböhler
AU - M Payen de la Garanderie
AU - X Coumoul
AU - JB Fini
AU - F Pierre
AU - J Muncke
AU - M Deschasaux-Tanguy
AU - B Srour
AU - M Touvier
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The European Journal of Public Health
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.928
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.928
AB - Background: Food processing/contact materials contaminate food with substances such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), but their long-term role in cancer development remains unclear. This study investigated the associations between dietary exposures to these contaminants, alone and in mixtures, and cancer incidence in the French NutriNet-Santé cohort. Methods: We assessed cumulative time-dependent exposures to 51 food contaminants using repeated 24h-dietary records from 103,212 participants (78.6% women, mean age=42.1 y, SD = 14.5) of the NutriNet-Santé cohort (2009-2024), and quantitative analyses in food matrices from the French total diet study 2 (2006-2009). Associations between contaminant exposures (sex-specific tertiles) and cancer incidence were characterized using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for known risk factors. Mixtures effects were explored using sparse PLS-Cox models. Results: Over a median follow-up time of 7.9 y, 4,438 incident cases of cancer were ascertained. Higher exposure to dietary BFRs was associated with increased incidence of overall (HRT3 vs. T1=1.11, 95% CI[1.02-1.20], ptrend=0.02), colorectal (1.47[1.12-1.93],ptrend=0.002) and obesity-related cancers (1.23[1.10-1.37],poverall<0.001). Total PFAS (1.25[1.00-1.58],poverall=0.048) and total PAHs (1.21[1.02-1.43],ptrend=0.03) were associated with higher breast cancer incidence. 20 contaminants were associated with at least one cancer location. Sparse PLS-Cox models identified contaminants mixtures most associated with each specific cancer. Conclusions: This large prospective cohort study suggests a potential role for food contaminants such as PFAS, PAHs and BFRs, in cancer development, which is supported by previous in vivo/in vitro experiments showing their interference in key carcinogenesis mechanisms. These elements advocate for stronger regulations, pending further confirmation. Key messages: • This large prospective cohort study suggests a potential role for food contaminants such as PFAS, PAHs and BFRs, in cancer development. • These elements advocate for stronger regulations, pending further confirmation.
SN - 1101-1262
SN - 1464-360X
ER -