ATLANTA (December 10, 2013) — The Calorie Control Council* is pleased that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) today released a final opinion on aspartame that reaffirms what scientists and healthcare professionals have known for years: aspartame is safe.
Following a comprehensive review of studies on aspartame and its metabolites, EFSA has concluded that there is no reason to reconsider the previous safety evaluations of aspartame authorized in the European Union. Dr. Alicja Mortensen, chair of EFSA’s Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources Added to Foods (ANS) stated, “This opinion represents one of the most comprehensive risk assessments of aspartame ever undertaken.” (VIDEO: Calorie Control Council’s “The Skinny on Low Cal” interviews Robyn Flipse, a Registered Dietitian, who explains more about EFSA’s review.)
Aspartame, a popular low-calorie sweetener, is one of the most thoroughly studied food ingredients in the food supply. It has been tested for over three decades in over 200 studies, with consistent results demonstrating the safety of aspartame. The studies reviewed by EFSA were conducted in laboratory animals and humans, including infants, children, healthy adults, lactating women, diabetics, obese people and people with the rare genetic disease phenylketonuria (PKU). In addition to EFSA, the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Scientific Committee Food (SCF) of the European Union and regulatory agencies of more than 100 countries, including the United States, have reviewed aspartame and found that its use was safe.
Similar to the EFSA opinion, in 2007, an extensive evaluation of the safety of over 500 studies related to aspartame concluded that the use of aspartame is safe. “The expert panel concluded that aspartame is a safe sweetener, which has been studied exhaustively and can help reduce the calorie content of many foods,” said Dr. Berna Magnuson, lead author of the analysis.
For more from EFSA, visit “EFSA completes full risk assessment on aspartame and concludes it is safe at current levels of exposure.” To view EFSA’s final opinion, visit “Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of aspartame (E 951) as a food additive.”