Sweetener aspartame set to be declared a possible cancer risk by WHO

A common artificial sweetener is set to be declared a possible carcinogen by a World Health Organisation agency.

Aspartame, used in many low-calorie products, will be listed next month as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the WHO’s cancer research arm, according to sources quoted by Reuters.

The IARC categorisation of a substance as possibly carcinogenic suggests “there is some evidence that it can cause cancer in humans but at present it is far from conclusive”. It does not take into account how much of a product a person can safely consume.

IARC’s past rulings have been criticised as confusing for the public. Irish science author David Robert Grimes said aspartame is one of the most studied foodstuffs in history, with no evidence of carcinogenicity.

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“Class 2B is defined as ‘possibly carcinogenic’, meaning, again, no evidence of harm. IARC yet again miscommunicating,” he tweeted on Thursday.

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Aspartame, one of the most common artificial sweeteners, is present in a wide variety of food and drink products on Irish retail shelves. From diet drinks to chewing gum, yoghurts to crisps, aspartame’s presence has grown in tandem with the rise in popularity of weight-loss and no-sugar products.

Its rise in popularity here was given added impetus by the introduction of the sugar-sweetened drinks tax, commonly known as the sugar tax, in 2018. This measure, designed to discourage sugar consumption, forced manufacturers to reformulate the composition of some products and do more to market sugar-free alternatives to traditional brands.

Since it was introduced, the tax has raised about €150 million for the Exchequer, most recent figures show. “Initial indications are that the tax has had a positive impact, particularly in terms of encouraging drinks producers to reduce the sugar content in their products,” according to Hildegarde Naughton, Minister of State for Public Health.

The impact of the tax is set for review shortly.

Both Coca-Cola Zero and Diet Coke contain a blend of aspartame and another sweetener. Coca-Cola says aspartame is one of the most commonly used sweeteners in Ireland. The company says it uses it in very small amounts and that its use is tightly regulated.

“With over 200 studies to support its safety, aspartame is one of the most thoroughly tested ingredients in the world. Its safety has been validated time and time again, including by the European Food Safety Authority in 2013,” the company says on its website.

“The safety of aspartame has been extensively studied over the years and experts worldwide agree that aspartame is safe for use,” according to a Food Safety Authority of Ireland factsheet. Aspartame is one of the most thoroughly tested food additives, it points out.

A number of scientific studies have found the mean daily intake for aspartame and other common sweeteners is below the acceptable daily intake for both adults and young children in Ireland.

A 2016 study concluded there was no health risk to Irish preschool children at current dietary levels of the sweeteners studied.

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A study of adult consumption in 2017 noted the presence of sweeteners in energy drinks, dairy products, solid food supplement, sauces and “table-top sweeteners”.

Intakes were not currently a concern among Irish adults, it said: “However, exposure to these chemicals should be monitored on a regular basis due to evolving market and consumption patterns.”