2023-07-14 05:35:46
The safety of aspartame, one of the sweeteners most used by the food industry, has been the subject of controversy since its discovery, due to suspicions that it can promote cancer, diabetes or premature births.
But what is aspartame?
This synthetic sweetener is derived from the combination of two amino acids, phenylalanine and aspartic acid, from which its name comes, which are part of the composition of proteins.
It was discovered by chance in 1965 by a chemist from the Searle pharmaceutical company who was looking for a treatment for ulcers.
This food additive is a low calorie artificial sweetener. Its energy value is similar to that of sugar (4 kcal/g) but its sweetening power is 200 times higher, which means that a much smaller amount is needed to obtain a comparable flavor.
Not the first sweetener. Its ancestor, saccharin, discovered in 1879, has the same sweetening power, but with a bitter taste.
Where is aspartame found?
Aspartame is found in thousands of products called “light”, “light” or “0%”: drinks, desserts, sweets, dairy products, chewing gum, hypocaloric or slimming products.
It is also a table sweetener, the little “sugar” that is put in the coffee. In addition, it is present in more than 600 medicines.
Currently, it is estimated that 200 million people around the world consume it on a regular basis. Aspartame is referred to in the European Union with the code E 951.
When did aspartame come on the market?
Its first marketing authorization was granted in the United States by the FDA, the country’s drug regulatory agency, in 1974.
Due to possible toxic and carcinogenic effects on the brain, the authorization was suspended a few months later. But it was restored in 1981 in the United States in solid foods and in 1983 in liquids. Since then, more than 90 countries have authorized it.
The Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of aspartame was established in 1980 at 40 mg/kg of body weight by the Expert Committee on Food Additives of the Food and Agriculture Agency of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Organization. Health (WHO).
An adult weighing 70 kg would then have to consume between 9 and 14 cans of a “light” soft drink (with 200 to 300 mg of sweetener) per day to exceed the permitted dose, assuming that they have not ingested aspartame contained in other products.
Why is aspartame controversial?
Since aspartame appeared on the market, rarely has a product caused so much controversy.
In 2010, researchers in Bologna, Italy, demonstrated, among other things, that the consumption of this “fake sugar” caused a significant increase in the incidence of cancers (particularly liver and lung) in male rodents.
Another study, carried out by Danish scientists, showed that same year that the product increases the risk of preterm birth.
In December 2013, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) indicated, after a detailed review, that aspartame and its derivative products were safe for human consumption if the recommended daily dose was respected.
Two years later, its French equivalent, ANSES, indicated that there were no data available demonstrating proven cancer risks, although some studies underline “the need to deepen knowledge” in this regard.
Since then, the WHO considers, among other things, that artificial sweeteners do not allow weight loss and could pose long-term health risks.
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