There Are No Concerns About Aspartame: Saudi FDA Confirms
SFDA’s confirmation came after the widespread controversy among people around the world about the artificial sweetener aspartame.
The row erupted in the past weeks after the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) issued a report classifying aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” within (IARC Group 2B), which is considered a possibility and not conclusive evidence.
SFDA clarified that the classification (2B) of the IARC means that there is insufficient scientific evidence for the product that was classified in this category to cause cancer in humans and experimental animals.
The authority has indicated that the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) expert committee on food additives (JECFA) have confirmed in its Final Summary of Findings Aspartame report that (No reason to change the previously established acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 0–40 mg/kg body weight for aspartame).
The report stressed that aspartame is safe to use within these limits. It is worth mentioning that exceeding these limits is equivalent to consuming 9 to 14 cans of soft drinks containing 200 or 300 mg of aspartame per day for an adult weighing 70 kg.
SFDA confirmed that it had conducted many scientific assessments on the safety of aspartame over the past years, which included reviewing all scientific assessments from international organizations and international agencies concerned with food safety control and sharing information and research with them.
SFDA’s scientific assessments have proved that there are no concerns related to aspartame. The authority pointed out that the aspartame sweetener has been used for over 40 years, and it is contained in more than 6,000 products all over the world, and there is no scientific evidence to prove the danger of consuming aspartame according to the limits recommended not to be exceeded.
