Assessments of the health impacts of the non-sugar sweetener aspartame are released today by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Citing “limited evidence” for carcinogenicity in humans, IARC classified aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans (IARC Group 2B) and JECFA reaffirmed the acceptable daily intake of 40 mg/kg body weight.
Press releaseJoint Press Release (IARC and JECFA)
Read Press Release: English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, SpanishSummary of findings
Joint summary of findings of the evaluation of aspartame
Read Summary of findings: English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, SpanishJECFA evaluation
JECFA evaluation
Read moreThe Lancet Oncology article
The Lancet Oncology article
Read more: English, FrenchInfographics
Infographics
IARC Monographs Vol. 134 evaluations
IARC Monographs hazard classification
Video
Video: IARC Monographs hazard classification process
This video explains the process used by the IARC Monographs on the Identification of Carcinogenic Hazards to Humans to classify a substance according to the strength of the evidence that the substance can cause cancer. This classification does not indicate the level of cancer risk associated with exposure.