Your diet soda could be deadly: What international agencies say about Aspartame

the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), issued assessments regarding the health impacts of the non-sugar sweetener aspartame.

These agencies cited limited evidence linking aspartame to carcinogenicity in humans, leading to IARC classifying aspartame as potentially carcinogenic (Group 2B). JECFA, meanwhile, reaffirmed the acceptable daily intake of 40 mg/kg body weight.

Aspartame, a chemical sweetener present in various food and beverage products since the 1980s, is used in diet drinks, chewing gum, ice cream, dairy products, breakfast cereal, toothpaste, and medications.

Dr. Francesco Branca, the WHO’s Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, highlighted the importance of ongoing research into potential cancer triggers, suggesting that although aspartame’s safety at common consumption levels isn’t a major concern, potential effects require further exploration through more comprehensive studies.

IARC and JECFA release health impact assessments of artificial sweetener aspartame used in diet soda. Photo courtesy of Corrie Miracle from Pixabay.

IARC and JECFA’s independent yet complementary reviews represent the first evaluation of aspartame by IARC and the third by JECFA. Both bodies noted limitations in the available evidence relating aspartame to cancer and other health effects.

IARC’s classification is based on limited evidence for hepatocellular carcinoma, a type of liver cancer in humans, and similarly limited evidence in experimental animals and related possible mechanisms for inducing cancer.

Conversely, JECFA concluded that there was no sufficient reason to revise the established acceptable daily intake of aspartame, hence reaffirmed that it is safe to consume within the 0–40 mg/kg body weight limit.

The IARC Monographs program’s Dr. Mary Schubauer-Berigan emphasized the need for additional research to enhance understanding of whether aspartame consumption poses a carcinogenic risk.

Dr. Moez Sanaa, the WHO’s Head of the Standards and Scientific Advice on Food and Nutrition Unit, stated that more comprehensive studies are needed, as current evidence of an association between aspartame consumption and cancer in humans is not convincing.

The evaluations of aspartame’s impact by IARC and JECFA were based on scientific data from various sources, which were reviewed by independent experts. Both committees will continue to encourage independent research and monitor new evidence regarding the potential association between aspartame exposure and consumer health effects.