Aspartame, the artificial sweetener that is in the composition of Coca-Cola Zero, is being evaluated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization (WHO), to find out its risks to human health. According to the Reuters Agency, the substance will be classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. In July, WHO should make an announcement in which the risks of the component will be officially revealed.
Artificial sweeteners have already been the subject of WHO research for some years. In a review released on May 15, 2023, the Organization suggested that they may have “potential undesirable effects” associated with long-term use, such as increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mortality in adults.
The best known among those mentioned by the WHO on the date are: acesulfame potassium, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia and its derivatives. Aspartame was also cited on the list.
Used since the 1980s, aspartame was evaluated in 1951 by the WHO/FAO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), which assesses risks for chemicals and additives in foods. However, it has never been evaluated by Iarc monographs, a program that identifies cancer risk in components and foods.
New research results have indicated the recommendation to evaluate the sweetener as a high priority by both the Iarc monograph program and the JECFA, complementary evaluations. The former will assess the potential carcinogenic effect of aspartame (hazard identification), while JECFA will update its risk assessment exercise, including review of the Acceptable Daily Intake and assessment of dietary exposure to aspartame.
Artificial sweeteners have already been the subject of WHO research for some years. In a review released on May 15, 2023, the Organization suggested that they may have “potential undesirable effects” associated with long-term use, such as increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mortality in adults.
What do the experts say?
According to the Brazilian Association of Food Industry for Special Purposes and Related Purposes (Abiad), aspartame is one of the most researched ingredients in history, with more than 90 food safety agencies confirming its safe use.
They also stress that it is essential to wait for JECFA’s publication on the subject, which will come out soon.
However, they point out that the IARC has no attribution as a regulatory body for food safety.
“Therefore, Abiad is concerned about the preliminary speculations about the opinion of the said agency, which may confuse consumers about the safety of aspartame”, they also say in a note.
