The International Agency for Research on Cancer is set to declare aspartame, a commonly used artificial sweetener, as a possible carcinogen.
Aspartame, which is 200 times sweeter than sugar, is widely used in low-calorie products and can be found in drinks such as Diet Coke and chewing gums. Although it is approved by food safety bodies and used for decades, controversies surrounding its safety have persisted.
According to Reuters, the IARC, cancer research arm of the World Health Organisation, will publicly list aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic (cancer-causing) to humans” for the first time on July 14. This decision comes after a thorough review of approximately 1,300 studies on aspartame and its potential link to cancer by the agency’s external experts.
The IARC ruling, however, does not take into consideration the safe consumption levels of the product. The ruling places aspartame under the category of “possibly carcinogenic,” which is one of the four classification levels used by the IARC based on the strength of the evidence.
In addition, the joint committee of the WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organisation, known as JECFA, is also assessing the use of aspartame this year. The committee is expected to announce its findings on the same day as the IARC’s public declaration. A spokesperson from the IARC mentioned that both committees’ findings are currently confidential until July, emphasizing the complementary nature of their assessments.
The IARC’s conclusion regarding aspartame’s potential carcinogenicity is seen as an initial step in understanding its effects. However, previous rulings by the IARC on different substances have resulted in concerns among consumers, lawsuits, and pressure on manufacturers to reformulate their recipes and switch to alternatives, with arguments that the IARC’s assessments can be confusing to the public.
