LONDON (Reuters) – Aspartame, one of the most popular sweeteners in the world, has been declared a “possible carcinogen” by two groups associated with the World Health Organization (WHO). However, these groups also state that it is safe to consume aspartame at approved levels. The rulings come from two separate expert panels: one determines if a substance is a potential hazard, while the other assesses the real-life risk it poses.
Used in products like Coca-Cola diet sodas and Mars’ Extra chewing gum, aspartame is a widely utilized sweetener. Ahead of the ruling announcement, the WHO’s head of nutrition, Francesco Branca, addressed the conflicting declarations and offered a third option for consumers seeking alternatives to sugar: drinking water instead.
In its first declaration, the Lyon-based International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified aspartame as a “possible carcinogen.” This classification indicates limited evidence that the substance can cause cancer. However, it does not take into account the amount of aspartame required to pose a risk, which is assessed by the WHO and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Joint Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) in Geneva.
Following its comprehensive review, JECFA stated that there is no convincing evidence of harm caused by aspartame. They continue to recommend that people keep their consumption levels of aspartame below 40mg/kg per day, a guideline established in 1981 and adopted by regulators across the globe.
While some scientists argue that the evidence linking aspartame to cancer is weak, food and beverage industry associations maintain that aspartame is safe and a good option for reducing sugar intake. The WHO points out that the existing consumption levels would require an individual weighing between 60-70kg to drink over 9-14 cans of soda daily to reach the limit, which is around 10 times what most people consume.
The WHO emphasizes the importance of moderation for both manufacturers and consumers while it does not urge companies to entirely remove aspartame from their products. Earlier this year, the WHO stated that there is no evidence supporting the use of sweeteners for weight control purposes, a claim disputed by the industry.
Reuters previously reported in June that the IARC would classify aspartame as a “possible carcinogen,” along with aloe vera extract and traditional Asian pickled vegetables. The IARC panel based this classification on three human studies in the United States and Europe that suggested a connection between sweetener consumption and hepatocellular carcinoma, a type of liver cancer. The panel also considered limited evidence from earlier controversial animal studies and the chemical properties of aspartame linked to cancer.
The WHO’s conclusion that aspartame is safe is echoed by industry representatives. Kate Loatman, executive director of the International Council of Beverage Associations, affirms that aspartame, like other low/no-calorie sweeteners, provides consumers with the choice to reduce sugar intake. Frances Hunt-Wood, secretary general of the International Sweeteners Association, emphasizes that aspartame supports the critical public health objective of reducing sugar intake in a balanced diet.
(Additional reporting by Richa Naidu; Editing by Caroline Humer and Catherine Evans)
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