India, Jan. 8 -- A pair of long-term studies has found that the consumption of common food preservatives is linked to cancer and type 2 diabetes.

The NutriNet-Sante study in France was conducted among more than 100,000 participants without prevalent cancer over a period of 14 years.

Researchers found that six of the 17 preservatives consumed by the participants were linked to cancer.

The suspected carcinogenic preservatives are sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate, sorbates, potassium metabisulfite, acetates, and acetic acid.

The study found multiple positive associations between intake of preservatives widely used in industrial foods and higher cancer incidence. Mainly this was observed in those who have been diagnosed later with breast...