The WHO now considers aspartame, an artificial sweetener used in particular in soft drinks, to be “possibly” carcinogenic to humans, but the daily dose considered safe remains unchanged, it said Friday.
“We are not advising companies to recall their products, nor are we advising consumers to stop consuming them completely,” said Dr. Francesco Branca, Director of the WHO Department of Nutrition, Health and Development, during the presentation of two evaluations.
More studies are needed
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO) has evaluated for the first time the level of danger of aspartame. Meeting from June 6 to 13, these experts concluded that the sweetener “was possibly carcinogenic to humans” (classification group 2B).
The decision to place aspartame in this group was made based on “limited indications” for cancer in humans, specifically, hepatocellular carcinoma, which is a type of liver cancer, according to the WHO. .
Limited evidence of cancer has also been observed in laboratory animals. According to Dr. Branca, more studies are needed “to further clarify the situation.”
No change in the recommended daily dose
The WHO/FAO (Food and Agriculture Agency of the United Nations) Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives met from June 27 to July 6 to assess the risks associated with aspartame.
It concluded that the data evaluated did not provide sufficient grounds to change the Acceptable Daily Intake established since 1981 to a maximum of 40 mg per kilogram of body weight and therefore a person can “safely” consume aspartame within the limit of this amount. daily.
With a can of “light” soft drink containing 200 or 300 mg of this sweetener, an adult weighing 70 kg would have to consume more than 9 to 14 cans per day to exceed the acceptable daily intake, assuming no other dietary intake. aspartame from other food sources
Aspartame is added to low-calorie beverages such as diet sodas, ready meals, gum, jellies, ice cream, and breakfast cereals, as well as medicines, such as cough drops, and other products such as toothpaste.
Source: BFM TV
