The body, whose members include Mars Wrigley, a Coca-Cola unit and Cargill, said it had "serious concerns with the IARC review, which may mislead consumers". Pepsico removed aspartame from sodas in 2015, bringing it back a year later, only to remove it again in 2020. Listing aspartame as a possible carcinogen is intended to motivate more research, said the sources close to the IARC, which will help agencies, consumers and manufacturers draw firmer conclusions. But it will also likely ignite debate once again over the IARC's role, as well as the safety of sweeteners more generally. Last month, the WHO published guidelines advising consumers not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control.

Source: The Star June 29, 2023 11:12 UTC