One of the most popular artificial sweeteners, aspartame, has been classified as a possible carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
A US chemist named James Schlatter discovered aspartame in 1965. It is an odorless, white powder.
Only a very small amount is required to sweeten foods and beverages as it is around 200 times sweeter than sugar. It serves as a sugar substitute in soft drinks because it is only needed in small quantities.
The component has a permissible daily intake of 40mg/kg of body weight in Nigeria and is permitted for usage as a non-nutritive sweetener.
The low-calorie sugar substitute is also approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency, and many other countries.
Despite aspartame’s long history of use, there have been various aspartame-related disputes. For instance, research from a 2017 review of studies revealed that those who regularly consume sweeteners, such as aspartame, may be more likely to suffer from heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
Based on scientific data gathered from a variety of sources, including peer-reviewed papers, official reports, and studies carried out for regulatory purposes, IARC, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) cancer research arm, did an assessment of the impact of aspartame.
In a separate assessment, aspartame is still safe to consume at previously agreed-upon levels of 40 mg/kg of body weight, according to the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), which comprises of experts from the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the WHO.
LIST OF DRINKS THAT CONTAIN ASPARTAME
Diet Coke
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar
Sprite Zero Sugar
Fanta Orange – Zero Sugar
Schweppes Ginger
Schweppes Pineapple with Malt Extract
Schweppes Bitter Lemon
Red Bull Sugar-Free
Pepsi Max
Fanta Zero
7Up Zero Sugar
7Up free
Ada Peter
