Publications scientifiques
Wilfred A. Abia* (Auteur correspondant)
Autres affiliations : Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l’Alimentation, de l’Environnement et du Travail
Brandy Perkwang Taty
Autres affiliations : Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l’Alimentation, de l’Environnement et du Travail
Kellybright Enih Fokwen
Autres affiliations : Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l’Alimentation, de l’Environnement et du Travail
Eucharia A. Abia
Archiv für Lebensmittelhygiene
Foods are frequently contaminated by natural toxins or toxic substances that have been illegally added, some of which are carcinogenic and pose potential cancer risks to consumers, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This scoping review maps commonly reported food carcinogens and summarizes existing evidence on the role of these additives as risk factors for various cancers, such as breast, liver, lung, stomach, and colorectal (BLLSCr) cancers. Key findings highlight naturally occurring carcinogenic food contaminants (e.g., aflatoxins, heavy metals, bisphenol A, pesticide residues, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from food processing) and economically motivated adulterants (e.g., Sudan dyes in palm oil, formaldehyde in meat) that frequently contaminate staple foods. There is evidence that these contaminants serve as a risk factor for certain cancers, especially BLLSCr cancers. Moreover, gender and socioeconomic disparities influence cancer prevalence, with men at higher risk for liver, lung, and gastric cancers, while breast cancer incidence rises among women in high-income settings. This review highlights two major contamination pathways: natural toxins and economically motivated adulterants. Meanwhile, strategies to prevent or control/reduce food contamination and associated dietary exposures to these carcinogens have been proposed. Exposure to nutritional carcinogens, as drivers of BLLSCr cancers, represents a food safety and public health challenge globally.
