On Thursday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a warning regarding artificial sweeteners commonly found in fizzy drinks, chewing gums, and low-calorie foods, suggesting a potential cancer risk.
According to insiders, aspartame, a widely used artificial sweetener, is set to be classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” in a reclassification by the global agency.
This decision follows a comprehensive safety review of over 1,300 studies on artificial sugar substitutes.
Aspartame is present in various products, including Diet Coke, Dr. Pepper, Fanta, chewing gum, Muller Light yoghurts, some toothpastes, dessert mixes, and sugar-free cough drops.
The impact of this revelation is significant, affecting well-known brands in the global food manufacturing market.
The increased focus on reducing sugar consumption in recent decades has led to widespread use of artificial sweeteners like aspartame.
Upon hearing the news, experts have raised questions and criticized the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) for their classification system, referring to it as “dumb.” They argue that the dose of exposure to these substances determines their potential harm.
Cancer Research UK has explicitly stated that artificial sweeteners, including aspartame, do not cause cancer, presenting a different viewpoint from the WHO’s reclassification.
Meanwhile, relevant bodies claimed the IARC review consisted of “widely discredited research,” which “contradicts decades of high-quality evidence.”
The WHO-backed cancer warnings slapped on red meat, working overnight and using mobile phones have faced criticism for sparking needless alarm over hard-to-avoid substances or situations.
The IARC ruling, yet to be publicly announced, is intended to assess whether something is a potential hazard or not, based on published ‘evidence’.
The criticism of the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s (IARC) classification system is centered on the argument that it fails to consider the safe consumption levels of products.
The advice provided by the Joint WHO and Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and national regulators takes this into account.
JECFA is currently conducting a review of aspartame usage and is expected to announce its findings on the same day that the IARC discloses its decision on July 14.
Since 1981, JECFA has maintained that aspartame is safe for consumption within the established daily limits.
To put the potential risk into perspective, it is estimated that an adult weighing 60 kilograms (132 pounds) would need to consume between 12 and 36 cans of diet soda daily, depending on the amount of aspartame present in the beverage, to be at risk.
