Aspartame is a highly popular non-nutritive sweetener that is widely used in the food and beverage industry. It is about 200 times sweeter than table sugar, making it an ideal additive for reducing sugar content in popular products such as Diet Coke, Fanta, and Mars Extra chewing gum.
The safety of aspartame consumption has been assessed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in two ways. Firstly, they have examined whether this sweetener can potentially cause harm to humans. Secondly, they have evaluated the risk associated with aspartame at levels of consumption observed in real life.
Today, the results of these assessments have been revealed. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified aspartame as ‘potentially carcinogenic’, specifically for hepatocellular carcinoma, a type of liver cancer. On the other hand, the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) has found no convincing evidence to suggest that aspartame causes harm when consumed within existing daily intake guidelines.
It is important to note that the IARC’s classification is based on limited evidence and does not consider intake levels or actual risk. The IARC does not have the same comprehensive approach to reviewing food safety as other authoritative bodies. The FDA in the US, for example, disagrees with the IARC’s conclusion and has identified significant shortcomings in the studies on which the IARC relied.
The acceptable maximum intake of aspartame is 40mg per kilogram of body weight, equating to around 2,800mg per day for an average adult. The aspartame content in sodas typically falls between 200-300mg per can. Therefore, an average adult would need to consume between 9-14 cans of soda to reach the upper limit of safe consumption.
JECFA’s findings mean that there will be no changes to the acceptable maximum intake of aspartame and product formulations. The WHO is not recommending the withdrawal of aspartame-containing products from the market.
However, it is worth noting that the WHO recommends against the use of non-sugar sweeteners for weight control or reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases. A systematic review conducted by the WHO suggested that non-sugar sweeteners do not offer long-term benefits in reducing body fat and may even have negative effects such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
In light of this, consumers looking to reduce body weight should consider alternatives that do not contain sugars or sweeteners, such as drinking water instead. Food and beverage industry trends are shifting towards reducing sugar content, but simply replacing sugar with sweeteners is not the solution. It is important to prioritize products that are free from sugars and sweeteners for better health outcomes.
While the industry believes that low/no calorie sweeteners like aspartame can contribute to public health objectives on sugar intake reduction and weight management, the WHO and consumer organizations advise against their use for weight control.
In conclusion, aspartame remains a popular sweetener in the food and beverage industry. Its safety has been assessed by the WHO, with the IARC classifying it as ‘potentially carcinogenic’ and the JECFA finding no convincing evidence of harm within existing intake guidelines. However, for weight control, it is advisable to choose products that are free from sugars and sweeteners.
