There has been much noise in the media about the safety of aspartame, a common low-calorie sweetener, which is commonly used in low-calorie beverages, foods, toothpaste, and even some medications. Underneath the headlines is actually very good news that the world’s leading food safety experts have once again determined aspartame is safe. Aspartame has been an approved food additive for more than forty years in Canada.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) recently conducted a comprehensive risk assessment and found “no convincing evidence” that for most healthy individuals consuming aspartame over the course of a lifetime presents any health risks, including cancer. In fact, low calorie sweeteners, like aspartame, can be a tool for certain individuals, like those living with diabetes.

Despite this clear conclusion, there was some confusion because the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) simultaneously formalized its opinion classifying aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” Although IARC notes that its opinion was based on “limited evidence for cancer in humans,” it still led to several alarming headlines.

JECFA’s finding is consistent with the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence built up over several decades. Canada and more than 90 countries around the world continue to regard aspartame as a safe and approved food additive, which should give consumers confidence.

For more information please visit Health Canada’s webpage on aspartame here.

This op-ed was originally published on LinkedIn.