WHO To Declare Diet Coke Sweetener Aspartame A "Possible" Carcinogen

Aspartame, one of the world’s most popular artificial sweeteners, is expected to be labeled a possible carcinogen by the cancer research arm of the World Health Organization (WHO), a move that could shake the food and beverage industry to its core, Chris Morris and Eleanor Pringle reported for Fortune.

Photo Insert: Aspartame is used in common drinks and food from Diet Coke to sugarless chewing gum to Dannon Activia yogurt.

“The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has assessed the potential carcinogenic effect of aspartame,” the WHO said in a statement to Fortune.

“Following this, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) will update its risk assessment exercise on aspartame, including the reviewing of the acceptable daily intake and dietary exposure assessment for aspartame.”

The results of both evaluations will be released simultaneously on July 14. Word of the pending declaration had put the food industry on the defensive.

Coca-Cola did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment, but the International Sweeteners Association (ISA)—which counts PepsiCo and Skittles maker Mars Wrigley among its members—said it has “serious concerns with preliminary speculation about the IARC opinion.”

Aspartame is used in common drinks and food from Diet Coke to sugarless chewing gum to Dannon Activia yogurt. It’s also used in cough drops and some toothpaste. The WHO label indicates there is limited evidence linking aspartame to cancer.

It is the lowest of three categories, with “probable carcinogen” such as the herbicide glyphosate and “carcinogenic to humans” (i.e., tobacco smoking and asbestos) the next possible steps.

The ruling from the IARC will reportedly not factor in how much aspartame a person can safely consume. That advice will be determined by the JECFA. The WHO last studied aspartame in 1981, determining an acceptable daily intake (40 mg per kilogram—2.2 lbs—of body weight). The new study was undertaken given the availability of new research results.

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