The World Health Organisation (WHO) will declare one of the most used artificial sweeteners, Aspartame, found in common drinks and foods, as “potentially cancer-causing” next month, according to Reuters.
Aspartame has very high levels of sweetness and a low-calorie count. Discovered in 1965 by James M Schlatter, this sweetener is made using two naturally occurring amino acids, phenylalanine and aspartic acid. The sugar substitute is found in thousands of sugar-free products, including sugar-free drinks offered by leading food manufacturers such as Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc., according to Reuters.
Earlier this year, WHO had warned that artificial sweeteners, used to replace sugar in a vast range of products, do not help in losing weight and can have serious health effects.
Now, WHO is planning to release two reports on Aspartame on 14 July. First, a report from the IARC will focus on cancer risk. Another report will provide an updated risk assessment of the sweetener and insights about the acceptable daily intake of Aspartame, according to Reuters. IARC’s assessment is likely to classify Aspartame into one of four categories: carcinogenic to humans, probably carcinogenic to humans, possibly carcinogenic to humans or “not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans.”
In 1981, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JEFCA) stated that the acceptable daily intake of Aspartame is 49 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. However, 355 millilitres of diet soda usually contains around 200 mg of Aspartame, according to the University of Alabama.
Previously, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group, had stated that using Aspartame, the low-calorie sweetener, is concerning as there is “compelling evidence that it causes cancer and is a potent carcinogen.”
A 2022 study involving 102,865 participants showed that artificial sweeteners, specifically, Aspartame and acesulfame-K, were associated with increased overall cancer risk. The research titled, Artificial sweeteners and cancer risk: Results from the NutriNet-Santé population-based cohort study, showed that aspartame intake was associated with increased breast and obesity-related cancer risks.
There have been varied reactions to the news. The American Beverage Association told Bloomberg in a statement, “There is broad consensus in the scientific and regulatory community that Aspartame is safe. It’s a conclusion reached time and time again by food-safety agencies around the world.” However, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo declined to comment.
