Crisps, biscuits, ice cream, salad dressings… ubiquitous, food emulsifiers increase cancer risk
Emulsifiers are one of the most widely used additives in ultra-processed foods and are often added to improve their appearance, taste, texture and shelf life. But these substances will not be without health risks. Some recent research, such as that from Inserm published February 13 in the journal PLOS, suggests that emulsifiers can disrupt gut microbiota and increase the risk of inflammation, potentially promoting the occurrence of certain cancers.
To reach this conclusion, scientists examined French data from 92,000 adults between 2009 and 2021. And, after analysis, 2,604 cases of cancer were diagnosed during the given period. Specifically, participants who regularly consumed the additive E471 (monoglycerides and diglycerides of fatty acids) had a 15% higher risk of developing breast or prostate cancer in particular. According to Open Food Facts, this emulsifier is listed as the 7th most used additive in France with a total of 14,906 related products. Thus it is present in Pringles crisps, Hudebert Rusk, LU Neapolitan biscuits, Kinder Dillis and Magnum and Côte d’Or ice creams.
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Protect customers
Also note that the E407 emulsifier is also in the eyes of scientists. It is often used in fresh creams, vinaigrettes, industrial cakes, prepared meat dishes and sauces. It is especially found in Le Gaulois brand Cordon Bleus, light Bridelis cream, Yoplat basket or even Herta’s vegetable nakki. In total, 10,525 products are affected in France, so it’s important to keep your eyes peeled during your next trip to the supermarket.
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“If these results are to be replicated in other studies around the world, they bring key new knowledge to the debate on re-evaluating regulations regarding the use of additives in the food industry, to better protect consumers”, Mathilde Touvier, director of research at INSERM, and Bernard Schroer, junior professor at INRA, lead authors of the study, explained.
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