The International Agency for Research on Cancer, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives on the 14th released an assessment report on the health effects of artificial sweetener aspartame, aspartame is classified as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" (class 2B carcinogens), that as long as the intake is limited to a certain range, it can be safely consumed.

   Aspartame is an artificial sweetener, chemically known as methyl aspartate, which is seen by the food industry as an alternative to sucrose. Since the 1980s, aspartame has been widely used in a variety of food and beverage products such as sugar-free beverages, chewing gum, and yogurt. The use of aspartame in food has been licensed in nearly 100 countries around the world, but the health effects of aspartame have been debated for decades.

   In this latest assessment report released on the 14th, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies aspartame as "probably carcinogenic to humans" (group 2B carcinogen), citing "limited evidence" of carcinogenicity in humans. Specifically, there is limited evidence that aspartame is carcinogenic to humans, and limited evidence of cancer and carcinogenic mechanisms in laboratory animals.

   In its assessment report, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives reiterated that the assessment data showed that there was no sufficient reason to change the previously established allowable intake level of aspartame up to 40 mg/kg of body weight per day, and that a person's daily consumption of aspartame was safe within this limit.

   The International Agency for Research on Cancer and the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives have conducted independent and complementary assessments of the health effects of aspartame, according to a press release released on the WHO website on the 14th. After reviewing the available scientific literature, both assessments point to limitations in the available evidence on aspartame in cancer and other health effects.

   "The evaluation of aspartame shows that while safety is not a major concern at commonly used doses, its potential effects have been described and need to be investigated with more and better studies," Francesco Branca, director of WHO's Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, said in a press release.