The food eaten by pre-school children could affect their risk of contracting cancer later in life, according to a US study.

According to researchers from Harvard Medical School, children under five-years-old who regularly eat chips notably increase their risk of developing Breast cancer.

Published in the International Journal of Cancer, the study estimates that for every additional weekly portion of French fries eaten by a pre-school chid each week, her risk of contracting Breast cancer rises by 27 per cent.

Dr Michels, associate professor at Harvard Medical School, said: “Researchers are finding more evidence that diet early in life could play a role in the development of diseases in women later in life.

“This study provides additional evidence that Breast cancer may originate during the early phases of a woman’s life and that eating habits during that phase may be particularly important to reduce future risk of Breast cancer.”

Diet has long been linked to the development of cancer, yet Dr Michels warned that this research should be taken with a degree of caution as it was based on mothers recalling their daughter’s pre-school diet up to 40 or 50 years later in life.

Other “junk” foods, such as hot dogs and ice cream, were not found to be linked to cancer. The risk found to be associated with chips could be a result of the fact that they are fried in fat and high in saturated fats and trans-fatty acids.