STORY: It’s used in everything from diet sodas to chewing gum.
Now artificial sweetener aspartame could be labeled a possible cancer risk.
Reuters sources say the International Agency for Research on Cancer – an arm of the World Health Organization – will make the move next month.
It will list aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”.
The ruling is based on all published evidence, and is meant to spur more research into the product.
It doesn’t take into account how much a person can consume before facing a heightened risk.
The news has drawn a furious response from drinks makers.
The International Sweeteners Association said the IARC was acting on “widely discredited research”.
Aspartame has been investigated for years.
One French study showed slightly increased cancer risks in people who consumed a lot of the sweetener.
But the results have been disputed and the product remains widely used.
It’s in products including Diet Coke, and Mars’ Extra chewing gum.
The IARC is due to make public its decision on July 14.
Its past rulings have forced makers to change recipes, and sparked waves of lawsuits.
Critics say it’s too prone to causing consumer alarm.
The body has previously listed working overnight, eating red meat, and using mobile phones as possible cancer risks.
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