Aspartame, one of the world’s most popular artificial sweeteners, is expected to be labeled a possible carcinogen by the cancer research arm of the World Health Organization (WHO), a move that could shake the food and beverage industry to its core.
“[The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)] has assessed the potential carcinogenic effect of aspartame,” the WHO said in a statement to Fortune. “Following this, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) will update its risk assessment exercise on aspartame, including the reviewing of the acceptable daily intake and dietary exposure assessment for aspartame.”
