Food colouring additives are substances used to enhance or restore the appearance of foods and drinks. They are commonly found in products such as soft drinks, sweets, baked goods, desserts and ready meals, and are often used in ultra-processed foods to improve visual appeal.
A study published in Nature (April 2026) has explored potential links between these additives and cancer risk in a large French population. The research analysed data from over 105,000 adults in the NutriNet-Santé cohort, who were followed for a median of 7.7 years.
Participants completed repeated 24-hour dietary records, allowing researchers to estimate exposure to specific food colouring additives using detailed, brand-level information. Over the study period, 4,226 cancer cases were recorded, including breast, prostate and colorectal cancers.
The findings suggest that higher overall consumption of food colouring additives was associated with a modest increase in cancer risk. Individuals with higher intakes had around a 14% higher risk of overall cancer compared to lower or non-consumers. Associations were also observed for breast cancer, including postmenopausal breast cancer.
When individual additives were examined, two in particular remained associated with increased cancer incidence after statistical adjustment: plain caramel (E150a) and beta-carotene used as a food additive (E160a). Higher exposure to beta-carotene as an additive was associated with increased risks of both overall cancer and breast cancer. Other additives, such as curcumin and anthocyanins, showed some associations initially, but these did not remain significant after further analysis.
Food colouring additives were widely consumed in this population, with over 87% of participants reporting some intake. The main sources were drinks (both sweetened and unsweetened), as well as fats and sauces. Average intake levels generally remained within current regulatory safety limits.
The biological mechanisms linking these additives to cancer are not yet fully understood. Some compounds formed during food processing have been associated in laboratory studies with effects such as oxidative stress or DNA damage, but this study does not establish a direct causal relationship.
As an observational study, the findings cannot prove that food colouring additives cause cancer. Although the analysis accounted for a wide range of dietary and lifestyle factors, other influences cannot be ruled out. The study population was also relatively health-conscious, which may limit how widely the findings apply.
The authors conclude that these results provide early evidence of a possible association between food colouring additives and cancer risk. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and clarify underlying mechanisms. The study supports existing public health advice to limit intake of non-essential additives and to favour minimally processed foods.
Shah, S., Anaïs Hasenböhler, Javaux, G., Payen, M., Fabien, Yvroud, P., Cédric Agaësse, Sa, A.D., Huybrechts, I., Pierre, F., Audebert, M., Coumoul, X., Julia, C., Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot, Allès, B., Serge Hercberg, Benoit Chassaing, Mélanie Deschasaux-Tanguy, Srour, B. and Touvier, M. (2026). Food colouring additives and cancer incidence in the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort. European Journal of Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-026-01393-3.
