Question 3782 — health

Summary

Mr. Benoît Biteau alerts the Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty to the link between cadmium and public health. On January 26, the program “Forbidden Zone” revealed the worrying presence of cadmium in many commonly consumed food products, including breads, cereals, pasta, as well as in products of plant origin such as fruits and vegetables. This heavy metal, whose origin dates back to industrial soil pollution since the end of the 19th century, enters food mainly through contaminated soils and phosphate agricultural amendments, used to try to improve agricultural yields. It is important to emphasize that France imports a large part of its phosphate from Morocco, where the cadmium content is higher than elsewhere, which increases soil contamination and, therefore, therefore, food products. The maximum admissible level of cadmium in phosphate fertilizers has also been raised, not with reference to the protection of human health and biodiversity, but rather to allow the liberalization of imports of Moroccan phosphates. This situation is all the more worrying given that nearly 47% of adults and nearly 20% of children in France have levels of cadmium. above the thresholds recommended by health authorities. This metal, classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic for reproduction, is responsible for serious health problems, in particular increased risks of cancer, kidney problems and bone fragility. In addition, overexposure to cadmium could exacerbate cases of pancreatic cancer, as indicated by Public Health France. Efforts to reduce this contamination appear insufficient, while several European countries, such as Finland and Slovakia, have already taken measures to reduce the concentration of cadmium in fertilizers. However, France is slow to follow this example, despite the serious impact that this pollution has on public health. The MP wishes to know if the Government will finally take concrete measures to reduce cadmium contamination, by revising immediately regulations on fertilizers, particularly those containing phosphate, and by drastically strengthening controls on food products, particularly imports, which present high risks. It appears essential to significantly lower the level of cadmium authorized in phosphate, from 60 to 20 grams per tonne, as recommended by the national health security agency of food, environment and work (ANSES). It also calls for actions to be taken to raise awareness of the dangers of cadmium and to promote protective dietary practices, such as the consumption of organic products and foods rich in iron which can reduce the storage of cadmium in the body.

Machine translation from French. The official text remains authoritative.

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