WHO lists sweetener used in diet coke as cancer risk

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a cancer research division of the World Health Organisation (WHO), is set to announce next month that aspartame has the potential to induce cancer.

Aspartame, a common sweetener used in drinks like Coca-Cola diet coke and other petty edibles like bubble gums would be designated as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” Reuters exclusively reported on Thursday. 

The choice, which was made earlier in June following a meeting of the group’s external specialists, is meant to determine whether or not anything poses a risk based on all the available facts. How much of a product a person can safely ingest is not taken into account. 

The Joint WHO and Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Expert Group on Food Additives (JECFA), a different WHO expert group on food additives, along with decisions from national regulators, provides this advice for individuals.