Can food preservatives increase your risk of cancer?

What's actually in it

Food preservatives like sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, sodium nitrite, and BHA/BHT are added to processed foods to extend shelf life and prevent spoilage. They're in soft drinks, deli meat, baked goods, sauces, and snacks. Most people eat some amount of preservatives every day without thinking about it.

What the research says

A 2026 study in the BMJ tracked over 100,000 adults in the NutriNet-Santé cohort and measured their intake of food preservatives. The researchers found that higher consumption of certain preservatives was linked to increased cancer incidence. The connection held after accounting for other diet and lifestyle factors.

The study is one of the largest to look at preservatives and cancer in a real-world population. The risk increased with the amount and variety of preservatives consumed, suggesting that daily exposure through multiple processed foods adds up.

Read ingredient labels and choose products with fewer artificial preservatives. Cook from scratch when possible. For packaged foods, look for brands that use natural preservation methods like citric acid or vitamin E.