Diet Coke drinkers were among those concerned by the news announced last month that one of its main ingredients is set to be officially classified as "possibly" posing a cancer risk.
Aspartame, a low-calorie sweetener that can also be found in sugar-free chewing gum, low-fat desserts and other soft drinks, has been widely used for decades as an alternative to sugar, which it is around 200 times sweeter than. However, recent reports suggest that the World Health Organisation is set to declare the common ingredient as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" after a ruling by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) later this month.
The news was met with alarm among those who enjoy Diet Coke and other products sweetened using aspartame - however, looking at the way the IARC classifies carcinogens may help to put some people's minds at rest. There are hundreds of everyday foods, drinks, occupations and more that have been determined as having an equal or higher risk than aspartame's expected classification - and some of them may surprise you, The Mirror reports.
