The pending declaration of the popular sugar substitute aspartame as carcinogenic to humans by the World Health Organization this month raises many questions for consumers and manufacturers alike.
The classification will be made by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialist division of the WHO.
News agency Reuters has prepared some background information explaining the substance – and backgrounding the classification of this and other ingredients as potentially carcinogenic.
What is aspartame?
Aspartame is a popular artificial sweetener found in Diet Coke, chewing gum, yoghurt and other food products. Discovered in 1965 by American chemist James Schlatter, aspartame is about 200 times sweeter than regular table sugar. It was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1974 for use as a tabletop sweetener and as an additive in chewing gum, breakfast cereals and dry bases for foods.
Why do manufacturers use aspartame?
Despite its intense sweetness, aspartame has almost zero calorific value and no bitter aftertaste like saccharin and grew in popularity as a more diet-conscious consumer emerged.
What products contain aspartame?
The low-calorie sugar substitute can be found in soft drinks, gelatin, confectionery, desserts, and sugar-free cough drops. It is also used to enhance flavouring of baked and canned foods, powdered drink mixes, candy and puddings.
Here is a list of popular items that contain aspartame:
- Diet Coke (Coca-Cola)
- Extra sugarfree chewing gum (Mars)
- Jell-O sugarfree gelatin dessert mix (Kraft Heinz)
- Snapple zero sugar tea and juice drinks (Keurig, Dr Pepper)
- Equal Zero (Whole Earth)
- Trident Sugar-free gum (Mondelez)
Have companies moved away from aspartame?
Aspartame’s use in food products has been debated for decades and has also prompted some companies to remove the compound from their products.
PepsiCo first removed aspartame from some US diet sodas. Although the company brought it back a year later, it again removed the ingredient in 2020.
General Mills’ Yoplait removed aspartame from its yogurts in 2014. The brand’s low-sugar products now contain alternative sweeteners like sucralose.
What other artificial sweeteners are in use?
Saccharin, sucralose and neotame are among five other artificial sweeteners alongside aspartame authorized by a WHO expert committee on food additives.
The FDA has also approved the usage of three types of plant- and fruit-based sweeteners, including extracts obtained from the stevia plant, swingle fruit extracts and a group of proteins called Thaumatin.
Is aspartame used outside the US?
More than 90 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Spain, France, Italy, Denmark, and Germany have reviewed aspartame and found it to be safe for human consumption and allow its use.
While the FDA pins the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for aspartame at 50mg per kilogram of body weight per day, the European regulatory body recommends a slightly lower ADI at 40 mg/kg/day.
How are carcinogenic substances classified?
Carcinogens are substances that have the potential to cause cancer to humans. According to the IARC, there are four different levels of classifications: carcinogenic, probably carcinogenic, possibly carcinogenic and not classifiable.
The levels are based on the strength of the evidence, rather than how dangerous a substance is.
Here is a look at some of the top agents that are carcinogenic to humans based on their classifications:
Category 1: When an agent is considered ‘carcinogenic to humans’
As per IARC, this classification is used when there is enough proof that the agent causes cancer in people. Typically, the assessment is based on epidemiological study findings that humans exposed to the substance acquire cancer.
Category 2: When an agent is considered ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’
This classification is used when there is limited or inadequate evidence of “carcinogenicity in humans” and there is either more evidence showing they cause cancer in animals, or strong evidence showing that they have similar characteristics as other human carcinogens.
Category 3: When an agent is considered ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’
This classification is generally used when either there is limited evidence of “carcinogenicity in humans” or strong evidence showing that the agent exhibits key characteristics of human carcinogens.
Category 4: When an agent is ‘not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans’
This classification is used when evidence of carcinogenicity in humans is inadequate. According to IARC, this includes drinking coffee, personal use of hair colouring products, use of fluorescent lighting, chlorinated drinking water, highly-refined mineral oils, tea and printing inks.
Sources: IARC, World Health Organization; Company websites, FDA, EFSA, National Library of Medicine
- Reporting by Granth Vanaik, Savyata Mishra and Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing
