Pancreatic cancer: a doctor blames the cadmium present in certain Moroccan fertilizers

"It is proven that cadmium is responsible for the explosion of cancers, particularly of the pancreas, in the young French population. That is, the age groups under 20," warns nutritionist doctor Arnaud Cocaul. "We are seeing a progression of about +1.6% of cases per year in men since 2010, and +2.1% in women over the same period," reports the Medical Research Foundation.

According to Public Health France, cadmium is "a cumulative toxin whose risk of deleterious effects is related to the cumulative dose over time." Since 2012, IARC has classified this heavy metal as a Group 1 carcinogen. It is found in Moroccan fertilizers arriving in France. "It is proven that the fertilizers that come from Morocco are contaminated with cadmium. We absolutely have to stop," adds Cocaul.

And he continues: "It is proven that we have more specific agreements with Morocco, unlike other European countries, which largely explains the differential in pancreatic cancer deaths compared to Germans or even Americans." The nutritionist doctor recommends "stopping this flow of fertilizer supply from the Shereefian Kingdom to France until we have solved this contamination problem."

"The foods that contribute most to cadmium exposure are breads and dry baked goods, potatoes and derivatives, vegetables, mollusks and crustaceans (the most contaminated foods), green leafy vegetables (salads, cabbages, spinach, etc.), cereals (wheat) or even rice," details the Léon Bérard Cancer Center on its website.