Ultra-processed foods, which contain preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial flavourings and colours, provide over half of our daily energy in the U.S.
These ultra-processed products are increasingly linked to obesity, cardiovascular disease, mental health issues, diabetes, and certain cancers.
In a new study published in PLoS Medicine, French researchers found more evidence that common ingredients in these foods may increase cancer risk, particularly breast and prostate cancers.
Emulsifiers, used in ready meals, cakes, cookies, breads, and spreads to improve texture, taste, and shelf life, were the team's focus.
These include modified starches, xanthan gum, pectins, and fatty acid mono- and diglycerides.
From 2009 to 2021, 92,000 French adults with an average age of 45 participated in the NutriNet-Santé cohort study.
The researchers found that people who ate more mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471) had a 15% higher risk of cancer after seven years.