Not suitable for excessive intake, the World Health Organization has officially listed aspartame as a possible carcinogenic food | Human | aspartame
According to the official website of the World Health Organization on the 14th, the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the World Health Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization released the assessment results of the health effects of aspartame today.
IARC cited limited evidence of human carcinogenesis and classified aspartame as potentially carcinogenic to humans, while JECFA reiterated an acceptable daily intake of 40mg/kg body weight.
The original text is as follows:
Release of Aspartame Hazard and Risk Assessment Results
The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the World Health Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization has released an assessment report on the health effects of the sugar free sweetener aspartame today. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has cited "limited evidence" of human carcinogenicity and classified aspartame as potentially carcinogenic to humans. The Joint Expert Committee has reiterated its daily allowable intake of 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener widely used in various food and beverage products since the 1980s, including weight loss drinks, chewing gum, gelatin, ice cream, yogurt and other dairy products, breakfast cereals, toothpaste, cough suppressants, and vitamin chewable tablets.
"Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Every year, one in every six people dies from cancer. Scientific exploration is constantly expanding to assess potential triggers or promoters of cancer, with the aim of reducing the number of cases and human deaths," said Dr. Francesco Branca, Director of the Nutrition and Food Safety Division of the World Health Organization. "The evaluation of aspartame indicates that although safety is not a major issue in terms of commonly used amounts, potential impacts have been described and further and better research is needed to investigate."
The reviews of the two institutions are both independent and complementary, with the aim of assessing potential carcinogenic hazards and other health risks associated with the consumption of aspartame. This is the first evaluation of aspartame by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the third evaluation conducted by the Joint Expert Committee.
After reviewing existing scientific literature, both evaluations indicate limitations in the existing evidence on cancer.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified aspartame as potentially carcinogenic to humans based on limited evidence of human cancer. The evidence of carcinogenesis found in experimental animals is also limited, and the evidence related to the possible mechanisms that cause cancer is also limited.
The Joint Expert Committee concluded that the evaluated data indicate that there is no sufficient reason to change the previously established daily allowance of 0-40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight for aspartame. Therefore, the committee reiterates that people can consume with confidence within this daily limit. For example, assuming there is no other aspect of food intake, a can of a weight loss soft drink containing 200 or 300 milligrams of aspartame would require an adult weighing 70 kilograms to drink 9-14 cans or more per day to exceed their daily allowance.
The hazard identification work of the International Agency for Research on Cancer is the first basic step in understanding the carcinogenicity of a substance by identifying its specific characteristics and the likelihood of causing harm. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classification reflects the strength of scientific evidence on whether a substance can cause human cancer, but they do not reflect the risk of developing cancer at specific exposure levels. The International Agency for Research on Cancer hazard assessment considers all types of exposure situations. The evidence strength classification group 2B is the third of the highest four levels and is typically used for situations where there is limited but unconvincing evidence of human cancer or convincing evidence of experimental animal cancer, but cannot be used for both situations simultaneously.
"The evidence for carcinogenicity in humans and animals is limited, and the mechanism by which carcinogenicity occurs is also limited. This finding emphasizes the need for more research to improve our understanding of whether consuming aspartame poses a carcinogenic hazard," said Dr. Mary Schubauer Berigan, a specialist from the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The risk assessment conducted by the Joint Expert Committee determines the likelihood of specific types of injuries occurring under specific conditions and exposure levels. It is not uncommon for the Joint Expert Committee to include the International Agency for Research on Cancer classification in its deliberations.
"The Joint Expert Committee has also considered evidence of cancer risk in animal and human studies and concluded that the evidence of an association between consumption of aspartame and human cancer is not convincing," said Dr. Moez Sanaa, Director of the Food and Nutrition Standards and Scientific Recommendations Division of the World Health Organization. "We need to carry out better research, carry out longer follow-up in the existing cohort and repeat the dietary questionnaire survey. We need to carry out randomized controlled trials, including studies on the mechanisms and pathways related to insulin regulation, metabolic syndrome and diabetes, especially those related to carcinogenicity."
The assessment of the impact of aspartame by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the Joint Expert Committee is based on scientific data collected from a range of sources, including peer-reviewed papers, government reports, and research conducted for regulatory purposes. These studies have been reviewed by independent experts, and both committees have taken measures to ensure the independence and reliability of their evaluations.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, the World Health Organization, will continue to monitor new evidence and encourage independent research teams to further investigate the potential link between exposure to aspartame and consumer health effects.
