Anses Flags Health Risks in French Diet From Cadmium, Aluminum and Mercury, Cautions on Lead and Acrylamide

Overview

• Published on February 12, 2026, the third national total diet study (EAT3) examined over 250 substances across 272 foods prepared as consumed, with samples collected in Hérault, Loiret and Puy-de-Dôme between May 2021 and August 2022.
• Anses judges exposures still too high for part or all of the population, designating cadmium, aluminum and methylmercury as a health risk and identifying lead and acrylamide as a health concern.
• Average concentrations have generally fallen since the 2006–2011 study, but increases appear in certain cereal-based products and some vegetables, while dietary lead exposure declined about 27% in children and 49% in adults.
• Bread and other wheat products, potatoes and vegetables are the top contributors, with molluscs and crustaceans important for regular consumers; methylmercury remains significant in predatory fish, with advice to eat two fish portions weekly and vary species and sourcing.
• Anses calls for stronger surveillance and reduction efforts, highlighting fries and sautéed potatoes as key acrylamide sources, with further EAT3 contaminant findings forthcoming and a parliamentary bill targeting cadmium under consideration.