- Aspartame is a synthetic sweetener used as a food additive, known as E951, found in products like Coke Zero. The synthetic sweetener aspartame is being considered as a possible cancer risk, although there is no substantial scientific evidence to support this claim.
- The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is planning to classify aspartame, along with aloe vera extract and pickled vegetables, as possibly carcinogenic to humans in Group 2B.
- Several scientific organizations, including the University of Cologne and the European Food Safety Authority, have concluded that there is no evidence to support the carcinogenicity of aspartame.
- The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives also deems aspartame safe as long as daily intake remains below a certain threshold (40 mg/kg of body weight). The IARC’s classification of aspartame is not a reflection of a realistic cancer risk but rather focuses on the theoretical potential for harm, even in cases where high amounts of the substance would be required.
- For example, 70 kg weighing adult woman would need to regularly consume over 2,800 mg of aspartame daily to expect any potential health harm & it would require drinking several liters of Coke Zero.
- The IARC’s purpose is to identify possible hazards rather than specific risks. As a result, consuming aspartame in typical amounts is not a cause for concern, and excessive intake would be necessary to approach levels that could potentially lead to adverse health effects.
- The IARC’s classification should be viewed in the context of its general approach to hazard assessment rather than an indication of a substantial cancer risk associated with aspartame.
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