Risk Assessment Report on Aspartame

The International Agency for Research on Cancer and the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization recently released an evaluation report on the health effects of the artificial sweetener aspartame, categorizing it as a "possible carcinogen to humans" (Category 2B carcinogen) and believing that as long as the intake is limited to a certain range, it can be consumed with confidence.

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener, chemically known as aspartame methyl ester, regarded by the food industry as a sweetener that replaces sucrose. Since the 1980s, aspartame has been widely used in various food and beverage products such as sugar free beverages, chewing gum, yogurt, etc. So far, the use of aspartame in food has been licensed in nearly 100 countries worldwide, but there has been ongoing controversy over its health impact for decades.

In the latest evaluation report released on the 14th, the International Agency for Cancer Research cited "limited evidence" of human carcinogenicity and classified aspartame as "potentially carcinogenic to humans" (Category 2B carcinogens). Specifically, there is limited evidence of aspartame causing cancer in humans, as well as limited evidence of cancer and carcinogenic mechanisms in experimental animals.

The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization reiterated in the evaluation report that the evaluation data shows that there is no sufficient reason to change the previously established daily allowance for aspartame within 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, and that a person's daily consumption of aspartame is safe within this limit.

A press release released on the official website of the World Health Organization on the 14th stated that the International Agency for Cancer Research and the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives have conducted independent and complementary assessments on the health effects of aspartame. After reviewing existing scientific literature, both evaluations point to limitations in the existing evidence of aspartame in cancer and other health effects.

Francesco Blanca, Director of the Nutrition and Food Safety Department of the World Health Organization, said in a press release: "The evaluation of aspartame indicates that although the safety of aspartame is not a major issue in commonly used doses, its potential impact has been described and further and better research is needed to investigate.