Does the sweetener aspartame cause cancer?

The birth of sweeteners is a great news for the food industry, because they are hundreds of times sweeter than sucrose and can greatly reduce costs. For consumers, this is actually good news, because the calories they provide are much lower than sucrose, or even negligible, which can not only satisfy your desire for sweets, but also avoid chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes caused by excessive energy intake.

But compared with those "inventors" who dare to lick everything, ordinary people are cautious, because everyone is always full of awe, doubt and even resistance to "chemically synthesized" substances. Therefore, regulators and researchers all over the world are constantly testing its safety to ensure that it will not harm the health of consumers. Of course, science is uncertain, and science is constantly developing. With the accumulation of research evidence, the scientific explanation of safety will keep pace with the times. Many "chemically synthesized" substances, such as saccharin, sodium cyclamate and aspartame, flip repeatedly between safety and insecurity.

Debate is actually not a bad thing. Since 1976 FDA approved aspartame, all kinds of rumors, conspiracy theories, interest kidnapping questions and even lengthy legal proceedings have never stopped. It may be worth it. Later, the FDA described aspartame as "one of the most thoroughly studied food additives" and its safety was "beyond doubt". The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also confirmed that "there is no epidemiological evidence to prove that aspartame will cause major injuries or serious risks". The safe intake set by the FDA of the United States is 50 mg per kilogram of body weight.

Of course, as the main producer and promoter of aspartame, the United States has many patents related to it, so there are always people who suspect that there is an interest kidnapping.

However, almost all the authoritative organizations in the world have recognized the safety of aspartame, and the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) under the World Health Organization has evaluated its safety twice.

Animal experiments show that there is no adverse reaction (NOAEL) at 4000 mg/kg body weight. Considering all kinds of uncertain factors, the safety factor was set as 100 times, and 40 mg/kg body weight was finally determined as the safe intake level (ADI). More than 100 countries have approved it as a food additive, including Europe, which has always been known for its conservatism and harshness. If you still don't understand, ask Xinxiang food additives, which have a good reputation for quality.