Editing Aspartame (section)

===Cancer===
{{As of|2023}}, regulatory agencies, including the FDA<ref name="fda-timeline">{{cite web|title=Timeline of Selected FDA Activities and Significant Events Addressing Aspartame|publisher=US Food and Drug Administration|url=https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/timeline-selected-fda-activities-and-significant-events-addressing-aspartame|access-date=1 July 2023|date=30 May 2023|archive-date=1 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701215649/https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/timeline-selected-fda-activities-and-significant-events-addressing-aspartame|url-status=live}}</ref> and EFSA,<ref name=efsa2013/> and the US [[National Cancer Institute]], have concluded that consuming aspartame is safe in amounts within acceptable daily intake levels and does not cause cancer.<ref name="nci">{{cite web |title=Artificial sweeteners and cancer |url=https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/artificial-sweeteners-fact-sheet |publisher=National Cancer Institute, US National Institutes of Health |access-date=1 July 2023 |date=12 January 2023 |archive-date=8 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208135059/https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/artificial-sweeteners-fact-sheet |url-status=live }}</ref> These conclusions are based on various sources of evidence,<ref name=fda-timeline/> such as reviews and [[epidemiology|epidemiological]] studies finding no association between aspartame and cancer.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Marinovich M, Galli CL, Bosetti C, Gallus S, La Vecchia C | title = Aspartame, low-calorie sweeteners and disease: regulatory safety and epidemiological issues | journal = Food and Chemical Toxicology | volume = 60 | pages = 109–115 | date = October 2013 | pmid = 23891579 | doi = 10.1016/j.fct.2013.07.040 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Kirkland D, Gatehouse D | title = Aspartame: A review of genotoxicity data | journal = Food and Chemical Toxicology | volume = 84 | pages = 161–168 | date = October 2015 | pmid = 26321723 | doi = 10.1016/j.fct.2015.08.021 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Haighton |first1=Lois |last2=Roberts |first2=Ashley |last3=Jonaitis |first3=Tomas |last4=Lynch |first4=Barry |date=1 April 2019 |title=Evaluation of aspartame cancer epidemiology studies based on quality appraisal criteria |journal=Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology |language=en |volume=103 |pages=352–362 |doi=10.1016/j.yrtph.2019.01.033 |pmid=30716379 |s2cid=73442105 |issn=0273-2300 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

In July 2023, scientists for the [[International Agency for Research on Cancer]] (IARC) concluded that there was "limited evidence" for aspartame causing cancer in humans, classifying the sweetener as [[IARC group 2B|Group 2B]] (possibly carcinogenic).<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(23)00341-8/fulltext |title=Carcinogenicity of aspartame, methyleugenol, and isoeugenol |vauthors=Riboli E, Beland FA, Lachenmeier DW, Marques MM, Phillips DH, Schernhammer E, Afghan A, Assunção R, Caderni G, Corton JC, de Aragão Umbuzeiro G, de Jong D, Deschasaux-Tanguy M, Hodge A, Ishihara J, Levy DD, Mandrioli D, McCullough ML, McNaughton SA, Morita T, Nugent AP, Ogawa K, Pandiri AR, Sergi CM, Touvier M, Zhang L, Benbrahim-Tallaa L, Chittiboyina S, Cuomo D, DeBono NL, Debras C, de Conti A, El Ghissassi F, Fontvieille E, Harewood R, Kaldor J, Mattock H, Pasqual E, Rigutto G, Simba H, Suonio E, Viegas S, Wedekind R, Schubauer-Berigan MK, Madia F |journal=The Lancet Oncology |volume=24 |issue=8 |date=August 2023 |pages=848–850 |doi=10.1016/S1470-2045(23)00341-8 |pmid=37454664 |s2cid=259894482 |hdl=2158/1320996 |hdl-access=free |access-date=14 July 2023 |archive-date=14 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714071015/https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(23)00341-8/fulltext |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="who7-13">{{cite web |title=Aspartame hazard and risk assessment results released (news release) |url=https://www.who.int/news/item/14-07-2023-aspartame-hazard-and-risk-assessment-results-released |publisher=World Health Organization |access-date=14 July 2023 |date=13 July 2023 |archive-date=13 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713230948/https://www.who.int/news/item/14-07-2023-aspartame-hazard-and-risk-assessment-results-released |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Aspartame hazard and risk assessment results released | website=International Agency for Research on Cancer | url=https://www.iarc.who.int/featured-news/aspartame-hazard-and-risk-assessment-results-released | access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref> The lead investigator of the IARC report stated that the classification "shouldn't really be taken as a direct statement that indicates that there is a known cancer hazard from consuming aspartame. This is really more of a call to the research community to try to better clarify and understand the carcinogenic hazard that may or may not be posed by aspartame consumption."<ref name="naddaf">{{cite journal |last1=Naddaf |first1=Miryam |title=Aspartame is a possible carcinogen: the science behind the decision |journal=Nature |date=14 July 2023 |doi=10.1038/d41586-023-02306-0 |pmid=37452160 |s2cid=259904544 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02306-0 |access-date=14 July 2023 |archive-date=30 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230730220902/https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02306-0 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives]] (JECFA)  added that the limited cancer assessment indicated no reason to change the recommended acceptable daily intake level of 40 mg per kg of body weight per day, reaffirming the safety of consuming aspartame within this limit.<ref name=who7-13/>

The FDA responded to the report by stating: {{blockquote|Aspartame being labeled by IARC as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" does not mean that aspartame is actually linked to cancer. The FDA disagrees with IARC's conclusion that these studies support classifying aspartame as a possible carcinogen to humans. FDA scientists reviewed the scientific information included in IARC's review in 2021 when it was first made available and identified significant shortcomings in the studies on which IARC relied.<ref name=fda7-14/>}}