Aspartame is safe, EFSA concludes

By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Amino acid

EFSA says the review is one of the most comprehensive risk assessments of aspartame ever undertaken
EFSA says the review is one of the most comprehensive risk assessments of aspartame ever undertaken
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has completed a major review of aspartame’s safety, and has concluded that the sweetener is safe for the general population at current consumption levels.

“This opinion represents one of the most comprehensive risk assessments of aspartame ever undertaken,”​ said the chair of EFSA’s Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources Added to Foods (ANS Panel), Dr Alicja Mortensen.

“It’s a step forward in strengthening consumer confidence in the scientific underpinning of the EU food safety system and the regulation of food additives.”

The food safety body received more than 200 comments during the online phase of its consultation on the safety of aspartame, following publication of its draft scientific opinion on the sweetener in January​. Public consultation on aspartame's safety concluded with a public meeting held in April, at which time EFSA said it needed until November to consider the feedback, which included new information.

EFSA says a thorough review of evidence from both animal and human studies has “ruled out a potential risk of aspartame causing damage to genes and inducing cancer.”

The panel also said there was no risk to the developing foetus from aspartame consumption, and that aspartame does not harm the brain, nervous system or cognitive function in children or adults. The only group for whom EFSA considered aspartame consumption to be risky was for those with phenylketonuria, characterised by an inability to break down the amino acid phenylalanine, which is present in aspartame as well as a wide variety of other foods.

Apart from phenylalanine, the opinion also clarifies that other breakdown products of aspartame, such as methanol and aspartic acid, are also naturally present in other foods.

“The contribution of breakdown products of aspartame to the overall dietary exposure to these substances is low,”​ EFSA said.

The food safety body concluded that the current ADI (acceptable daily intake) of aspartame – 40 mg per kg of bodyweight per day – was protective for the general population. A typical diet soft drink contains about 180mg of aspartame in a can.

Reacting to the EFSA opinion, Emeritus Professor Andrew Renwick, OBE, from the University of Southampton,said in an International Sweeteners Association statement: People should be confident that the data reviewed is the most up-to-date and that the EFSA opinion is based on all existing scientific facts. Aspartame is a simple compound made from two amino acids and a methyl group, all of which occur naturally in the diet and are consumed in larger amounts from other normal dietary sources.”

The full scientific opinion is available online here​.

Related news

Show more

Related products

show more

Sweetening solutions for active nutrition

Sweetening solutions for active nutrition

Content provided by ADM: Innovation that Feeds the Future | 13-Oct-2023 | Case Study

When you add GrainSweet® Liquid Maltodextrin to your active nutrition applications you get the manufacturing efficiencies, cleaner labels and clean tastes...

 Four actionable steps to reduce allergen recalls

Four actionable steps to reduce allergen recalls

Content provided by FoodChain ID | 10-Oct-2023 | White Paper

Failing to mitigate allergen risks has serious consequences - not just for consumer safety, poor allergen procedures can also cause financial losses and...

Related suppliers

14 comments

Show more

Don't believe a word they say!

Posted by Kimberley Dvorak,

Years ago a new drink Christal Light came out wanted to try it because of 0 calories I developed the worst headache felt like my head was going to blow up.Each time I gave it a try the same thing happened!Also they made Flintstones Vitamins for kids and several of my children complained of severe headaches this is not normal!This to me seems a dangerous product not safe for humans!

Report abuse

wife, disabled

Posted by Jaynie McC,

They can say its safe all they want-- but the facts for me are that aspartame has always, always given me horrible vertigo and caused my eyes to lose focus. I am a diabetic, so this is a very serious issue for me. Saccharin nor stevia affect my central nervous system or my eyes. So its something about aspartame that does it. I don't use it and have heard of many others whom it affects similarly, and they don't use it either. So, I think it's another 'study' paid to find favorably about aspartame!

Report abuse

Driver

Posted by Tim Milhomme,

Find out who or what is paying these so called experts to say what they are saying

Report abuse

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars