On 26 January 2025, the investigative program The Forbidden Zone (Zone Interdite) aired a special episode on M6, revealing alarming details about cadmium contamination in commonly consumed foods. The documentary, titled “Bread, Fruits, Vegetables: Revelations on a Food Scandal”, highlighted the presence of this toxic heavy metal in bread, cereals, potatoes, and various vegetables across France.
)
Cadmium is a highly toxic heavy metal linked to serious health risks, including kidney damage, bone degradation, and an increased risk of cancers. While naturally occurring in the environment, its accumulation in food primarily results from industrial pollution and phosphate-based fertilisers with high cadmium content. Dr. Pierre Souvet, cardiologist and head of the Association Santé Environnement France (ASEF), noted that cadmium is a known carcinogen linked to pancreatic cancer, kidney disease, and other serious conditions, making its continued presence in food a major public health issue. Shockingly, French children have up to four times more cadmium exposure than their American counterparts and three times more than German children.
Through extensive food testing, The Forbidden Zone team found cadmium traces in all analysed bread samples, regardless of whether they were sourced from supermarkets, bakeries, or organic producers. Particularly concerning was the discovery that seeded and whole-grain bread contained even higher levels of cadmium than standard white bread. Toxicologist Joël Poupon, from the Laboratory of Biological Toxicology, Lariboisière Hospital, Paris (AP-HP), who conducted laboratory analyses on various food products, revealed the widespread presence of cadmium, even in items considered healthy. This problem extends beyond bread to other wheat-based products, vegetables, and even seafood, as rivers carry industrial pollutants into marine ecosystems.
Vanessa Hummel, Deputy Director of Health Safety at the Directorate-General for Food, noted that while contamination remains a concern, authorities ensure that cadmium levels in food stay within legal safety limits through regular checks and adherence to European regulations. Simultaneously, investigative journalist Elsa Abdoun from Que Choisir revealed how a typical daily diet could easily exceed the tolerable threshold for cadmium intake.
Health experts interviewed in the programme underlined the importance of reducing cadmium exposure by adopting stricter fertiliser regulations, promoting low-cadmium phosphate alternatives, and increasing public awareness. While cadmium levels in food may remain within legal safety limits, the cumulative effect of daily exposure raises important questions. Ultimately, this documentary serves as a wake-up call, emphasising the urgent need for industry and regulatory bodies to take action to ensure a safer food supply.
To watch the full documentary, visit M6’s The Forbidden Zone website: https://www.m6.fr/zone-interdite-p_845
More information available at: Association Santé Environnement France - https://www.asef-asso.fr/