But a panel of experts has said the sugar substitute aspartame is safe in limited quantities. In a report released late on Thursday, the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. The IARC has two more serious categories, “probably carcinogenic to humans” and “carcinogenic to humans”. Dr Francesco Branca, director of the WHO’s department of nutrition and food safety, said: “Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally. Science is continuously expanding to assess the possible initiating or facilitating factors of cancer, in the hope of reducing these numbers and the human toll.

Source: The Star July 14, 2023 01:09 UTC