Overview

• Specialists warn that a wave of alarming claims about cadmium, aspartame and heavy metals is confusing consumers and leading to poorer decisions.
• Experts say harms from excess sugar far exceed risks from low-dose contaminants or sweeteners, with diet soda preferable to sugary versions though water remains the best option.
• UFC-Que Choisir’s example of a child’s cocoa-and-cereal snack nearing half the cadmium limit mainly violates sugar guidelines rather than posing a primary metal risk.
• Anses emphasizes dose over absolutes, advising one weekly serving of salmon for omega-3s despite metal content and limiting red meat to 500 grams per week.
• Researchers highlight industry-funded ‘science marketing’ that skews studies, while Nutri-Score is cited as a helpful guide that remains voluntary and faces resistance from major manufacturers.