Sweetener aspartame is set to be classified as possibly carcinogenic – but there’s no need to panic

According to reports, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, is set to declare the artificial sweetener aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”.

Aspartame is about 200 times sweeter than sugar and is one of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners. It’s used particularly in “low calorie” or “diet” foods and beverages, but is contained in a wide variety of products including drinks, ice creams, chewing gums, confectionery, sauces and snacks.

We don’t have further information yet on what evidence the International Agency for Research on Cancer will base this new classification on, but the WHO will publish the full data on July 14.

While reports like these can understandably be worrying, there’s no reason to panic at this stage.

Aspartame was first approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1974, and ever since then there have been claims made about its potential effects on health.

Over time, aspartame has not only been linked to cancer, but also to other conditions such as multiple sclerosis, blindness, seizures, memory loss, depression, anxiety, birth defects and death.

However, frequent evaluations by regulatory agencies such as the WHO, the Food and Drug Administration and the European Food Safety Authority have found no evidence to support these assertions.

So far, the regulators have all agreed...

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