Aspartame is a concentrated, low-calorie artificial sweetener that is 200 times sweeter than sugar.
Following the Reuters' exclusive and the expectation that aspartame will be classified as a "possible carcinogen" by IARC, the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the WHO, World Health Organization, the spotlight has returned to this sweetener, which has been legal in several EU member states since the 1980s. But what exactly is aspartame?
According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), aspartame is a strong, low-calorie artificial sweetener. It is a white, odorless powder that is 200 times sweeter than sugar.
It is approved for use as a food additive in drinks, bakery and confectionery items, dairy products, chewing gum, diet and weight management products, and as a table-top sweetener in Europe. Aspartame has a wide range of applications, from soft drinks to sugar substitutes. In the EU, the presence of aspartame on food goods must be declared on the label, with the E in front of the name or number (E 951).
"For more than thirty years - EFSA continues - this sweetener and its derivatives have been the subject of extensive research, including animal studies, clinical research, quantity studies, epidemiological studies, and post-marketing surveillance activities." trade. Aspartame has been deemed safe for human ingestion for many years and in many countries after reliable safety studies."
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) presented its first complete study of the dangers linked with aspartame in 2013. According to the view, aspartame and its breakdown products are safe for the general population (including babies, children, and pregnant women).
The Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 40mg/kg bw/day is regarded to be protective for the general population, and consumer exposure to aspartame is estimated to be significantly lower than this ADI — which, however, does not apply to afflicted individuals. Phenylketonuria is a condition that necessitates rigorous adherence to a phenylalanine-restricted diet.
This, however, has not put an end to the controversy over the safety of aspartame, which some research accuse of being carcinogenic. According to an observational research done on over 100,000 people in France last year, "sweeteners would represent an increased risk factor for cancer."
Participants in the study were divided into three groups: non-sweetener consumers, 'weakest' consumers, and'strongest' consumers (on average 79 grams per day). As a result, there was a 13% increase in cancer risk between customers and non-users. The study's authors admitted that "this is a preliminary stage that does not allow us to conclude that sweeteners are carcinogenic".
WHO issued new guidelines in May recommending against using non-sugar sweeteners to lose weight or lower the risk of NCDs. Sweeteners such as acesulfame K, aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, and stevia are examples.
Aspartame will be classified as a carcinogen
In July, Aspartame, which is used to sweeten carbonated drinks and even chewing gum, will be branded as "possibly carcinogenic to humans." The International Agency for Research on Cancer (AIRC), a body of the World Health Organization (WHO), determined this after reviewing 7,000 references and 1,300 articles on the issue.
The term "possibly carcinogenic to humans" refers to the third, and so lowest, degree of concern in the Airc classification of carcinogenic compounds. Products classified "probably carcinogenic" rank second in terms of hazard, while those labeled "carcinogenic to humans" rank first.
It is thus a preventative warning, with the goal of establishing improved safety standards and limits on the use of aspartame rather than fostering alarmism. The Airc study merely considered all of the published scientific literature on the matter, while the ball now transfers to a committee of specialists from the WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Based on the AIRC findings, scientists from the two organizations will proceed to determine the quantity of product that may be safely ingested and the appropriate daily dosages, as well as the necessary safety evaluations for foods containing aspartame. The results of these assessments will be made public on July 14, 2023.