What Is Aspartame? All About The Artificial Sweetener Set To Be Declared ‘A Possible Carcinogen’
In many countries, aspartame is authorised to be used as a food additive to sweeten a variety of foods and beverages.
Aspartame, one of the world's most common artificial sweeteners is set to be declared a possible carcinogen by World Health Organization's (WHO) cancer research arm.
On Thursday, Reuters citing its sources reported that Aspartame will be listed in July as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
According to a Washington Post report, about 95% of carbonated soft drinks that have a sweetener use aspartame, as well as about 90% of ready-to-drink teas, representing a huge amount of the beverage market share.
Let's take a look at aspartame, its uses and its history in detail:
What Is Aspartame And Its Uses
According to the European Food Safety Authority, aspartame is a low-calorie artificial sweetener, which is approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is a white, odourless powder.
In many countries, aspartame is authorised to be used as a food additive to sweeten a variety of foods and beverages such as drinks, desserts, sweets, dairy products, chewing gum, low-calorie and weight control products, and as a table-top sweetener.
India's apex food regulator FSSAI, in a 2009 document recommended maximum permitted levels of aspartame according to the food product it is being used in.
Reuters report says that the IARC ruling, finalised earlier this month after a meeting of the group's external experts, is intended to assess whether something is a potential hazard or not, based on all the published evidence.
It does not take into account how much of a product a person can safely consume. This advice for individuals comes from a separate WHO expert committee on food additives, known as JECFA (the Joint WHO and Food and Agriculture Organization's Expert Committee on Food Additives), alongside determinations from national regulators.
JECFA, the WHO committee on additives, is also reviewing aspartame use this year, the report said.
Since 1981, the WHO Committee on additives has said aspartame is safe to consume within accepted daily limits.
Meanwhile, last month WHO issued a new guideline on non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) advising people not to use them to control body weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases.
"Results of the review also suggest that there may be potential undesirable effects from long-term use of NSS, such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality in adults," WHO said in a statement.
