 "aspartame")
After conducting thorough assessments on Aspartame, World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated that there is "limited evidence" for the carcinogenicity of the sweetener in humans.
The Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States also told NPR, a non-profit media organisation, that "aspartame being labelled by the WHO as 'possibly carcinogenic to humans' does not mean that aspartame is actually linked to cancer." Adding that there were far too few studies done on this for any conclusion to be drawn, and more importantly, long-term studies had not been conducted.
The release by the organisation also stated that the acceptable daily intake of Aspartame of 40 mg/kg body weight had not been changed.
Aspartame is a chemical-based sweetener that has been used since the 1980s as a sugar substitute in a range of products, including diet drinks, chewing gum, ice cream, yoghurt, breakfast cereal, toothpaste, and medications such as cough drops and chewable vitamins. It is approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar but contains fewer calories.
To address concerns regarding its safety, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the WHO, along with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), have conducted comprehensive assessments on the health impacts of Aspartame.
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The assessments:
International Agency for Research on Cancer
IARC and JECFA conducted separate independent assessments to evaluate the potential carcinogenic hazard as well as other health risks associated with aspartame consumption.
IARC classified Aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) based on limited evidence of cancer in humans (specifically, hepatocellular carcinoma, a type of liver cancer). IARC's assessments added, "There was also limited evidence for cancer in experimental animals and limited evidence related to the possible mechanisms for causing cancer."
IARC's classifications act as a first step in understanding the carcinogenicity of a substance by identifying its properties and potential to cause harm, including cancer. The Group 2B classification indicates limited evidence for cancer in humans or convincing evidence in experimental animals, but not both. It is important to note that IARC classifications reflect the strength of scientific evidence regarding the potential to cause cancer rather than the actual risk of developing cancer at a given exposure level.
Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives
JECFA assesses the probability of a specific type of harm, such as cancer, occurring under certain conditions and levels of exposure. In this case, JECFA considered the evidence on cancer risk in both animal and human studies.
JECFA concluded that the available data did not provide sufficient reason to alter the previously established acceptable daily intake (ADI) of Aspartame, which is set at 0–40 mg/kg body weight. The committee reaffirmed that "it is safe for a person to consume within this limit per day."
To put this into perspective, an adult weighing 70kg would need to consume "more than 9–14 cans per day to exceed the acceptable daily intake", assuming there is no other significant intake from other food sources.
Further studies
WHO reiterated the FDA's sentiment that further research still needed to be conducted when it came to assessing carcinogenicity. Especially long-term studies in humans.
"We need better studies with longer follow-up and repeated dietary questionnaires in existing cohorts. We need randomised controlled trials, including studies of mechanistic pathways relevant to insulin regulation, metabolic syndrome and diabetes, particularly as related to carcinogenicity," stated Dr Moez Sanaa, WHO's head of the Standards and Scientific Advice on Food and Nutrition Unit in the official release.
