The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified aspartame, the main artificial sweetener used in Diet Coke and multiple processed foods like ice creams, flavoured yoghurts and breakfast cereals, as a possible carcinogen.c, based on the limited evidence in human beings. The daily acceptable intake level has been maintained at the present 40 mg/kg body weight. However, the WHO has categorically stated that further investigation into the ‘described effects’ of aspartame through more and better research was needed.
Interestingly, Dr Francesco Branca, head of nutrition at the WHO, gave a thumbs down to carbonated beverages with both sugar and aspartame at the WHO press briefing, according to Reuters.
“If consumers are faced with the decision of whether to take cola with sweeteners or one with sugar, I think there should be a third option considered – which is to drink water instead,” said Dr Branca at the press conference while announcing the aspartame verdict according to a Reuters report.
WHO: Possible carcinogen, might cause liver cancer
According to a media release from the WHO, aspartame has been listed under Class 2 B, and on the basis of limited evidence for cancer in humans, specifically for hepatocellular carcinoma, a variant of liver cancer. Interestingly multiple studies have already announced strong links between liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) and the consumption of carbonated sugary beverages.
The daily safe intake level of aspartame was assessed by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECF) and it has been left at 40 mg/kg of body weight.
What is aspartame and how did it end up in our diet?
Happiest Health has earlier reported on the possibility of aspartame being announced as a possible carcinogen. Aspartame is one of the most popular artificial sweeteners which is 200 times sweeter than natural sugar. A chemist from the erstwhile GD Searle & Co discovered it in 1965 and it initially got approval to be used as a tabletop sweetener in 1974. However, there were objections raised against it citing health reasons and the approval was withdrawn. After a long-drawn legal battle between the company and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agency, it was approved in 1981.
More regulation and resolve required
Experts fighting for food safety and public health cite that it is high time that health policymakers and experts strongly tackle the steady flow of unhealthy processed packaged food items into the market. They have also called for better coordination between researchers, regulators and policymakers against health hazards from ultra-processed food to safeguard public health.
“Stronger research evidence and resolve are important, but so is the need to warn the public properly regarding what is in their food. It is happening at some level in some countries like Israel and Chile. For example, Israel has made it mandatory for all processed food with high salt, sugar and saturated fat to have bold warning signs in red to make sure that the consumer is aware of what he or she is buying,” says Lenin Raghuvanshi, health activist and CEO of the People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVHCR), UP. He has been fighting for the need for the Indian government to introduce better warning signs on food labels.
Dr Lokesh Vishwanath, head, department of radiation oncology, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bengaluru, says that as of now, there is only limited evidence to conclusively label aspartame as a carcinogen.
“As per the existing daily intake level, an individual will have to drink too many cans of diet cola a day to be seriously affected by it,” he adds.
According to the WHO media release, a 70 kg individual would have to drink at least nine to 14 cans of cola to come under serious health risk. The release also states that WHO and IARC will continue monitoring and investigating the effect of aspartame on public health.
Takeaways
The WHO has officially classified aspartame, one of the most popular artificial sweeteners, as a possible carcinogen. The global agency has retained its daily safe intake limit at 40 mg/kg. They have also added that they will continue to monitor the effect of aspartame on public health and have called for more research and clinical trials on the effects of the artificial sweetener.
