The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the World Health Organisation’s cancer research unit, is for the first time poised to label aspartame as a potential carcinogen from July, two sources familiar with the process told Reuters. This advice for individuals comes from a separate WHO expert committee on food additives, known as JECFA (the Joint WHO and Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Expert Committee on Food Additives), alongside determinations from national regulators. JECFA, the WHO committee on additives, is also reviewing aspartame use this year. The additives committee “conducts risk assessment, which determines the probability of a specific type of harm (e.g., cancer) to occur under certain conditions and levels of exposure”. Aspartame has been studied for years and a French study published in March last year said it could increase the risk of cancer in people who consume it.

Source: The Star July 01, 2023 02:28 UTC