What do diet soft drinks, sweetened toothpaste, cough drops, sugary cereals, ice cream and yogurt have in common? They may all be sources of aspartame, an artificial sweetener approximate 200 times more potent than the natural sugar sucrose. Invented in 1965 by James M. Schlatter, aspartame has a long history of use in thousands of food products. But apprehension about its safety has also existed alongside this sugar-mimicking chemical.
"The WHO has classified aspartame is a possible carcinogen, while red meat is classified as a probable carcinogen."
