New Zealand Food Safety Authority challenges activists’ views on aspartame

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is concerned that anecdotal claims made by anti-aspartame campaigners about the sweetener do not seem to be supported by actual evidence. “The claims being made – and widely reported in the media – are doing a great public disservice,” says NZFSA Acting Chief Executive Dr Andrew McKenzie. “Aspartame is one of the most studied substances in the world and continues to retain one of the highest Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) levels of any additive (40 mg/kg-bw).
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Leading Scientists Around the World Confirm Safety of Aspartame

A comprehensive review of more than 500 studies evaluating aspartame once again puts the rumors and myths to rest. A panel of eight leading experts in the areas of toxicology, epidemiology, metabolism, pathology, biostatistics etc., conclusively determined that aspartame is safe.
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The abstract for the study may be accessed at http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713401167 and more information is available at the Aspartame Resource Center's Web site: http://www.aboutaspartame.com/pdf/Critical_Reviews_evaluation_summary.pdf

Overwhelming Scientific Evidence Confirms Safety of Aspartame

The Calorie Control Council stated that a rat study conducted by Italy’s Ramazzini Institute is totally contradictory to the extensive scientific research and regulatory reviews conducted on aspartame.  The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has said they are not recommending any changes in the use of aspartame.
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FDA Re-Affirms Safety

Just last week, on April 20, 2007, FDA issued a statement that it has completed a review of the Ramazzini study, concluding that the study data made available to them by the European Ramazzini Foundation (ERF) “do not appear to support the aspartame-related findings reported by ERF.”  FDA added, “These data do not provide evidence to alter FDA's conclusion that the use of aspartame is safe.”
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NZFSA Supports Safety of Aspartame

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority recently issued a press release stating, "Recent media reports about possible reactions to large doses of aspartame from chewing gum, and reports of a study by the Italian Ramazzini Foundation which link aspartame with cancer, are not consistent with the findings of a large number of studies over many years which have been evaluated by leading food safety agencies around the world."
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New Study Confirms that Low-Calorie Sweeteners Are Helpful in Weight Control

A new review of research shows low-calorie sweeteners may be one piece of the puzzle in helping solve the obesity problem.  Although not magic bullets, low-calorie sweeteners and the products that contain them can help people reduce their calorie intake.  The authors point out that low-calorie sweeteners are not appetite suppressants and they do not cause weight loss, but “… they have been shown to be associated with some modest weight loss….”
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New Research Re-Affirms Safety of Low-Calorie Sweeteners

A new study conducted by Italian and French researchers and published in the Annals of Oncology indicates there is no association between low-calorie sweeteners and cancer. The researchers evaluated a variety of studies between the years of 1991 and 2004. These studies assessed the relationship between low-calorie sweeteners and many cancers including oral and pharynx, oesophagus, colon, rectum, larynx, breast, ovary, prostate and renal cell carcinomas.
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Meta-Analysis Indicates Aspartame Effective for Weight Loss

Foods and beverages sweetened with aspartame can help consumers lose weight, according to a recent review of previous aspartame studies published in the June issue of the British Nutrition Foundation Nutrition Bulletin.  Researchers examined 16 randomized controlled trials of aspartame and its effect on caloric intake and body weight.  Fifteen of the studies used energy intake as an outcome measure.  The estimated rate of weight loss for the 16 studies was approximately 0.4 pounds per week.  “Strategies to reverse the upward trend in obesity rates need to focus on both reducing energy intake and increasing energy expenditure," explained lead author Anne de la Hunty. "The use of intense sweeteners as a substitute for sucrose potentially offers one way of helping people to reduce the energy density of their diet without any loss of palatability."  This recent review indicates that aspartame, as part of an overall healthy diet, can help consumers cut calories and lose weight.

More information is available at the American Council on Science and Health’s Web site at: http://www.acsh.org/factsfears/newsID.832/news_detail.asp.

FDA Has Sweet News for Consumers of Sugar Substitutes

Sugar substitutes receive a strong endorsement this month from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA has issued a fact sheet on sugar substitutes, and published it in the July/August issue of FDA Consumer magazine, carrying the headline, “No Calories… Sweet!” as the summary.
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European Food Safety Authority Re-Confirms Safety of Aspartame: Comprehensive Review of Ramazzini Study Demonstrates No Scientific Evidence of Aspartame and Cancer Link

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) announced there is no reason to recommend any dietary change in regard to the low-calorie sweetener, aspartame. The report from EFSA’s AFC Panel specifically states, “In its opinion published today, the Panel concluded, on the basis of all the evidence currently available, that there is no need to further review the safety of aspartame nor to revise the previously established Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for aspartame (40 mg/kg/body weight).” EFSA’s statement is the result of its review of a recent study by the Ramazzini Institute, which alleged an increased risk of leukemia and lymphoma with aspartame use.
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Read EFSA's press release on their findings concerning the Ramazzini study

Read EFSA's full report of their findings concerning the Ramazzini study

Read the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's press release

New NIH/NCI Study Confirms Safety of Aspartame
Five-Year, Government Funded, Epidemiology Study Shows No Risk Between Aspartame and Cancer

A new epidemiology study from the National Cancer Institute confirms previous study conclusions that there is no link between aspartame consumption and leukemias, lymphomas and brain tumors. The study, presented at the American Association of Cancer Research meeting in Washington, D.C., evaluated over 500,000 men and women between the ages of 50 and 69 over a five-year period. The researchers report, “Our findings from this epidemiologic study suggest that consumption of aspartame-containing beverages does not raise the risk of hematopoietic or brain malignancies.”
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Overwhelming Scientific Evidence Confirms Safety of Aspartame
Governments Recommend No Change in Dietary Practices Related to Aspartame

The Calorie Control Council today stated that a rat study conducted by Italy's Ramazzini Institute is totally contradictory with the extensive scientific research and regulatory reviews conducted on aspartame. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has said they are not recommending any changes in the use of aspartame. According to Dr. George Pauli of the FDA, “FDA requested the data from the Ramazzini study in July 2005 but we have as not yet received the data.  The agency cannot, therefore, comment on the study until it has the opportunity to review the study data, in depth. Based on the large body of evidence we have reviewed, including several studies on carcinogenicity which showed no adverse effects and data on how aspartame is metabolized by humans, we have no reason to believe that aspartame would cause cancer. Thus, it remains FDA's position that use [of aspartame] is safe."
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Overwhelming Scientific Evidence Confirms Safety of Aspartame

Research Finds Adults Using Low-Calorie Products Have Higher Quality Diets

Using low-calorie, sugar-free foods and beverages, such as soft drinks that use aspartame for sweetness, has been found to be associated with consumption of better quality diets, says new research published in March 2005. According to lead researcher Dr. Madeleine Sigman-Grant, Ph.D., R.D., with the University of Nevada, “Those using products containing low-calorie sweeteners were more aware of the nutrients they were eating and were more likely to eat leafy-green vegetables, fruit and yogurt.” Thus, the researchers found while participants were eating fewer calories overall, they were also eating more healthfully .

The Gateway Reports No Link Between Aspartame and Health Problems

The Gateway reported on a recent review in the Canadian Journal of Diabetes (below), which debunks the alleged rumors that aspartame is related to a variety of health problems. The article notes, "While countless Internet sites have long warned of the dangers of the artificial sweetener aspartame, a recent study suggests that the substance is safe. The study, published in the Canadian Journal of Diabetes, reviewed 55 studies of the artificial sweetener to assess the link between aspartame and brain tumours, seizures and the effect on blood-sugar control. It found no evidence of a direct connection."

Recent Article from The Gateway

Canadian Diabetes Association Confirms the Safety of Aspartame in Updated Review on Sweeteners

"Its [aspartame's] safety has been further confirmed through studies in several human subpopulations, including: healthy infants, children, adolescents and adults; obese individuals with or without diabetes; lactating women; and individuals heterozygous for the genetic disease phenylketonuria (PKU), who have a decreased ability to metabolize phenylalanine."

"At this time, there is no scientific evidence to support the negative health effects that have been ascribed to aspartame."

"The use of aspartame- containing food products may improve weight loss and weight control in a multidisciplinary
program. People who wish to lose weight may safely use non-nutritive sweeteners, ensuring they are replacing energy-dense foods or sucrose sweetened beverages, not nutrient-dense foods such as milk and fruit juices."

Read the abstract: Full text

Updated Food Pyramid Stresses Calorie Control

The new Food Guidance System from the U.S. Department of Agriculture echoes the sentiments of health professionals who agree that making small changes in caloric intake and energy expenditure can help people manage their weight. Combined with the new 2005 Dietary Guidelines and the Food and Drug Administration’s umbrella campaign, “Calories Count,” consumers will be able take away clear, consistent messages about obtaining and maintaining a healthier weight and overall healthy lifestyle through simple steps.

New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Confirm Importance of Controlling Calories

The newly updated Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of U.S. Health & Human Services (HHS) specifically advise people to participate in physical activity and balance calories as two key strategies for weight control. Low-calorie sweeteners (such as aspartame) and the products that contain them can aid people in controlling calories while enjoying the same great taste as the full-calorie counterpart.

Read more about the Dietary Guidelines

British Medical Journal Editorial Concludes Aspartame Criticisms Are Unfounded

The October 2, 2004 issue of the British Medical Journal carries an editorial concluding that aspartame has been "demonised unfairly" in sections of the press and on the Internet.

The BMJ editorial states: "Evidence does not support links between aspartame and cancer, hair loss, depression, dementia, behavioural disturbances, or any of the other conditions appearing in websites. Agencies such as the Food Standards Agency, European Food Standards Authority, and the Food and Drug Administration have a duty to monitor relations between foodstuffs and health and to commission research when reasonable doubt emerges. Aspartame's safety was convincing to the European Scientific Committee on Food in 1988,but proving negatives is difficult, and it is even harder to persuade vocal sectors of the public whose opinions are fuelled more by anecdote than by evidence. The Food Standards Agency takes public concerns very seriously and thus pressed the European Scientific Committee on Food to conduct a further review, encompassing over 500 reports, in 2002. It concluded from biochemical, clinical, and behavioural research that the acceptable daily intake of 40 mg/kg/day of aspartame remained entirely safe-except for people with phenylketonuria."

Full text of British Medical Journal editorial ( pdf )

Survey: Major Increase in Number of People Dieting

The number of people on a diet has increased dramatically in the last few years, says the Calorie Control Council in its 2004 national survey. The survey finds that one-third of adult Americans, or 71 million, are currently on a diet – an increase of 35 percent since 2000.

Aspartame Archives

Aspartame Archives