People who consume higher amounts of food preservatives may face a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a large new study conducted by scientists from Inserm, INRAE, Sorbonne Paris Nord University, Paris Cité University.
Preservatives are part of the broader category of food additives and are widely used throughout the global food supply. Their presence is extensive.
In 2024, the Open Food Facts World database listed around three and a half million food and beverage products, with more than 700,000 of them containing at least one preservative.
Earlier experimental research has raised concerns that some preservatives may harm cells or DNA and interfere with normal metabolic processes.
However, direct evidence linking preservative intake to type 2 diabetes in large human populations has been limited until now.
To better understand this potential connection, the research team examined long-term exposure to food preservatives and the incidence of type 2 diabetes using detailed data from the NutriNet-Santé study.
About the study
In the analysis, the researchers divided preservative additives into two main groups.
The first group includes non-antioxidant preservatives, which slow spoilage by limiting microbial growth or slowing chemical reactions in food.
The second group consists of antioxidant additives, which help preserve foods by reducing or controlling exposure to oxygen in packaging.
The study followed more than 100,000 French adults between 2009 and 2023. Participants regularly provided information about their medical history, socio-demographic background, physical activity, lifestyle habits, and overall health.
They also submitted detailed food records covering multiple 24-hour periods. These records included the names and brands of industrial food products they consumed.
Researchers cross-referenced this information with several databases and combined it with measurements of additives in foods and beverages.
This allowed the team to estimate each participant's long-term exposure to preservatives.
Measuring preservative consumption
Across all food records, researchers identified a total of 58 preservative-related additives. This included 33 preservatives in the strict sense and 27 antioxidant additives.
From this group, 17 preservatives were analyzed individually because they were consumed by at least 10% of the study participants.
The analysis accounted for many factors that could influence diabetes risk, including age, sex, education, smoking, alcohol use and overall diet quality (calories, sugar, salt, saturated fats, fibre, etc.).
Diabetes risk increases with greater preservative intake
Over the study period, 1,131 cases of type 2 diabetes were identified among the 108,723 participants.
Compared with people who consumed the lowest levels of preservatives, those with higher intakes showed a markedly increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Overall preservative consumption was linked to a 47% higher risk. Non-antioxidant preservatives were associated with a 49% increased risk, while antioxidant additives were linked to a 40% higher risk.
Among the 17 preservatives examined individually, higher intake of 12 was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
These included widely used non-antioxidant preservatives potassium sorbate, potassium metabisulphite, sodium nitrite, acetic acid, sodium acetates and calcium propionate, as well as antioxidant additives sodium ascorbate, alpha-tocopherol, sodium erythorbate), citric acid, phosphoric acid and rosemary extracts.
What the researchers say
"This is the first study in the world on the links between preservative additives and the incidence of type 2 diabetes. Although the results need to be confirmed, they are consistent with experimental data suggesting the harmful effects of several of these compounds," explained the lead researcher.
"This work once again justifies the recommendations made by the National Nutrition and Health Programme to consumers to favour fresh, minimally processed foods and to limit unnecessary additives as much as possible”.
Source: Nature Communications, January 7, 2026.
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