The popular artificial sweetener Aspartame, used in thousands of products worldwide, would be declared a possible cancer risk for humans, according to a study.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), of the World Health Organization (WHO), will publish a report in July after conducting a safety review.
According to sources consulted by Reutersaspartame will be listed as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” so there is probably limited evidence linking the sweetener to this disease.
The IARC safety review was conducted to assess whether or not a potential hazard exists, based on all published evidence, although it does not take into account the amount of a product that a person can safely consume.
The IARC has two more serious categories, “probably carcinogenic to humans” and “carcinogenic to humans,” it reported. Guardian.
However, this determination is expected to be controversial as similar rulings by this agency have raised consumer concerns about its use, prompting lawsuits and pressure on major food and beverage manufacturers to change their recipes.
The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization, JECFA, is also reviewing the use of aspartame since the end of June and plans to make its decision public on July 14.
Found in products ranging from Coca-Cola’s diet soda to Mars Extra gum and some Snapple drinks, aspartame has been widely used since the 1980s.
The artificial sweetener is licensed for use globally by regulators and big companies have championed its use for decades.
