An artificial sweetener used in thousands of products including diet fizzy drinks, ice cream and chewing gum has been ruled a “possible” cause of cancer by the World Health Organisation (WHO). 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”. 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. Cancer Research UK also says that sweeteners do not cause cancer.

Source: The Star July 14, 2023 06:11 UTC