Sweet talking

A common artificial sweetener has for the first time been classed as possibly carcinogenic.

- JENNIFER BOWDEN

QUESTION: Is the artificial sweetener aspartame bad for you?

ANSWER:

A spartame is one of the most thoroughly tested food additives in history.

A truckload of safety reviews have been conducted by international authorities, all of which, until recently, have concluded aspartame was safe for human consumption.

Aspartame (E951) is about 200 times sweeter than sugar, so only minimal quantities are needed. It provides manufacturers with an effective way of lowering the energy content of drinks, desserts, sweets, chewing gums and other energy-reduced food products and has been used in a range of foods and drinks, such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi, and in toothpaste and some medications, since the 1980s. For much of that time, concerns about its safety have been raised, assessed, reviewed, re-reviewed and pooh-poohed by various health authorities.

However, in July, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the Joint United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation/World Health Organisation expert committee on food additives released its findings after reviewing aspartame and its potential health risks.