FDA Calls Aspartame Safe, Disagrees With WHO On Potential Cancer Risk

The US Food and Drug Administration labelled Aspartame, as safe for use, while disagreeing with the World Health Organisation's classification of the soda sweetener as a cancer-causing agent.

"Aspartame being labeled by IARC as possibly carcinogenic to humans does not mean that aspartame is actually linked to cancer," FDA said in a statement.

Health Canada and the European Food Safety Authority have also concluded that aspartame is safe at the currently permitted levels, an FDA spokesperson said.

"The FDA disagrees with IARC's conclusion that these studies support classifying aspartame as a possible carcinogen to humans. FDA scientists reviewed the scientific information included in IARC's review in 2021 when it was first made available and identified significant shortcomings in the studies on which IARC relied. We note that JECFA did not raise safety concerns for aspartame under the current levels of use and did not change the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI)," the statement read.

Aspartame is one of the most studied food additives in the human food supply. FDA scientists do not have safety concerns when aspartame is used under the approved conditions. The sweetener is approved in many countries. Regulatory and scientific authorities, such as Health CanadaExternal Link Disclaimer and the European Food Safety AuthorityExternal Link Disclaimer have evaluated aspartame and also consider it safe at current permitted use levels.

"Some consumers may rely on products with aspartame and other sweeteners to help reduce their sugar consumption. We recognise that navigating different information from health organisations is challenging. We will continue to provide reliable, science-based information on aspartame and other sweeteners on the FDA's website to help consumers make informed choices," it added.

Sweeteners are widely used in foods and beverages marketed as "sugar-free" or "diet," including baked goods, soft drinks, powdered drink mixes, candy, puddings, canned foods, jams and jellies, dairy products, and many other foods and beverages. Consumers can identify whether a product has a sweetener by looking for the sweetener's name in the ingredient list on the product label.

On Friday, the World Health Organization declared aspartame, an artificial sweetener widely used in diet drinks and low-sugar foods, could possibly cause cancer.

The IARC has identified a possible link between aspartame and a type of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma after a detailed study on artificially sweetened beverages.