A recent assessment by ANSES highlights growing concerns over cadmium exposure in France, confirming that a significant share of the population exceeds recommended health thresholds. The findings point to a widespread and chronic exposure primarily driven by diet, with cadmium accumulating in the body over time and associated with long-term health risks, including kidney damage, bone fragility and cancer.
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The analysis identifies food consumption as the dominant pathway of exposure, accounting for up to 98% of cadmium intake in non-smokers. Commonly consumed products such as cereals, bread, potatoes and vegetables are among the main contributors. This widespread presence in food is closely linked to the contamination of agricultural soils, where cadmium accumulates over time and is taken up by crops.
According to ANSES, one of the principal sources of cadmium in soils is the use of fertilizing materials, particularly mineral phosphate fertilizers. In this context, the agency emphasizes the need to act at the source of contamination. It recommends introducing stricter limits on cadmium content in fertilizers applied to agricultural land, building on its previous guidance of a maximum input flow of 2 g of cadmium per hectare per year. To meet this objective, ANSES suggests a threshold of 20 mg of cadmium per kilogram of P₂O₅ in phosphate fertilizers, significantly below the current EU limit (60 mg/ kg P₂O₅).
Beyond regulatory limits, the assessment outlines additional measures to reduce soil and food contamination. These include sourcing lower-cadmium phosphate rock, applying decadmization processes where necessary, and improving fertilizer labelling to increase transparency. The agency also highlights the role of agricultural practices, such as optimising fertilizer application to soil and crop needs, mobilising existing soil phosphorus reserves, and promoting crop varieties with lower cadmium uptake.
Finally, ANSES underlines that addressing cadmium exposure requires a comprehensive approach across the food system, including potential revisions of maximum levels in food products and strengthened monitoring over time. Overall, the findings reinforce the importance of linking soil management, fertilizer quality and food safety within a coherent policy framework to reduce long-term exposure risks and protect public health.
More information available at:
ANSES statement - Link