The agents - called parabens - are used in a vast range of food, cosmetics and other products, the Sun reported.

It is contained in processed meats, pastries, sweets and snacks, facewash, make-up, moisturisers and shampoos.

Contraceptive, vitamin and mineral pills also contain parabens, which can increase the body`s levels of cancer-causing hormones.

Many major British and international brands use parabens, which are often listed on packaging as methylparaben, propyl, butyl or ethylparaben.

Underarm antiperspirants have been linked to breast cancer for years after a rise in deodorant use coincided with an 80 per cent increase in diagnoses.

Two of Britain`s top breast cancer specialists analysed tumours taken from 40 women.

Every sample was found to contain parabens - and most had more than five different types of the chemical.

But researchers noted that some of the women did not use deodorants, and said they had been exposed to parabens from other sources including food, beauty products - and even the water supply.

Dr Philippa Darbre, of Reading University, who led the study with consultant surgeon Lester Barr, from the University Hospital of South Manchester, said the presence of parabens in the samples did not necessarily mean they had actually caused the women`s cancer.

But she added: `The fact that parabens were present does justify further investigation.`

The chemicals are man-made, but once inside the body they appear to behave like the female hormone oestrogen - which has long been known to increase the risk of some forms of breast cancer.

Parabens are found in beauty products including facewashes, mascara, moisturising creams, shampoo, bubble bath, shaving foam and self-tan lotions and sprays.

They are also present in processed meats such as ham and sausages, meat pies, pastries, sweets, coated nuts and many savoury snacks.

Source: ANI
Image: Flickr/creativecommons francoisschnell