The International Agency for Research on Cancer intends to declare "aspartame," one of the most common artificial sweeteners in the world, a "possible carcinogen" next month, putting the WHO agency in confrontation with the food industry and regulatory bodies, according to two informed sources who spoke to Reuters on Thursday, June 29, 2023.

Aspartame is used in the manufacture of various products including low-calorie Coca-Cola soft drinks, Extra gum, and some Sunbless drinks.

The two sources revealed that the International Agency for Research on Cancer will, for the first time, list this substance in July 2023 as "probably carcinogenic to humans."

The agency's decision, concluded earlier in June 2023 following a meeting of experts from outside the body, aims to assess whether the substance poses a potential risk or not, based on all published evidence.

The safe amount a person can consume of this substance without harming their health is not considered, and this advice to individuals comes from a separate WHO expert committee on food additives, alongside national regulatory decisions.

The committee is known as (the joint WHO/FAO Expert Committee on Food Additives).

Similar past decisions by the Cancer Research Agency regarding various substances have raised consumer concerns about their use, led to lawsuits, pressured manufacturers to reformulate and find alternatives, and attracted criticism that assessments can be confusing to the public.

The joint expert committee is also reviewing the use of "aspartame" this year, and its meeting began at the end of June 2023, with results scheduled to be announced on the same day the Cancer Research Agency announces its decision, on July 14, 2023.

In 1981, the joint expert committee stated that "aspartame" is safe for consumption within acceptable daily limits, and regulatory bodies in several countries including the United States and some European countries widely shared this view.

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener approximately 200 times sweeter than regular sugar, and is also used in diet soda; while both regular sugar (or sucrose) and aspartame contain the same number of calories, manufacturers need only a small amount of aspartame to put in carbonated water. This explains their ability to keep calories low in diet soda.

Research has uncovered a link between significant weight gain and waist circumference and regular consumption of aspartame; according to a 2013 review of studies on artificial sweeteners, aspartame can significantly increase the risk of metabolic diseases similar to type 2 diabetes.

The review suggested that regularly consuming foods and drinks containing aspartame conditions the body not to expect calorie intake in exchange for the sweet taste. Eventually, the body becomes unable to break down sugars when they reach the intestines, leading to glucose intolerance and ultimately diabetes.