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Experts Discuss Role of Evidence in Cadmium Exposure Debate
Two experts in agricultural and environmental issues highlighted misunderstandings in the debate over cadmium exposure following a recent agency report. They argued that lack of irrefutable evidence should not prevent public health actions, citing historical examples. The discussion centers on cadmium levels in France and potential health risks.
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France's national agency for food, environmental and occupational health safety, known as ANSES, released a report on March 25, 2026, confirming that reference toxicological values for cadmium were exceeded in a significant number of French people. Children were particularly affected, with food identified as the main source of exposure.
The agency recommended actions on phosphate fertilizers but did not conclude a proven causal link between cadmium and pancreatic cancer. Following the report's publication, a polarized debate emerged. Some doctors viewed cadmium as a plausible explanation for the increase in pancreatic cancers in France.
Others noted that ANSES had not established this link and suggested that claiming otherwise could be seen as activism.
and Mathieu Parenti, experts in agricultural and environmental issues, stated that the polarization stems from a misunderstanding of scientific evidence's role in public health decisions. They noted that each side in health alerts related to chemical exposure claims to represent science and accuses the other of ideological bias.
According to Gaigné and Parenti, the lack of evidence is often interpreted by public authorities and industry as an absence of risk. They described this reasoning as a recurring theme in public health history. Gaigné and Parenti provided examples to illustrate their point.
In 2013, American economist Emily Oster concluded in her book Expecting Better that a glass of wine a day during pregnancy was risk-free, based on data analysis.
