Health scare sweetener ‘safe to use’

The fizzy drink's diuretic properties " promoting the production of urine " also lead to the body to flush out valuable nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and zinc and zinc.

The fizzy drink's diuretic properties " promoting the production of urine " also lead to the body to flush out valuable nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and zinc and zinc.

Published Dec 11, 2013

Share

London - A controversial artificial sweetener previously linked to premature births and cancer has been cleared by European experts as “safe for human consumption”.

The move was welcomed by manufacturers, who have been using aspartame in snacks and fizzy drinks for 30 years.

However, one leading expert accused the team commissioned by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) of being biased in favour of the food industry.

Concerns about artificial sweeteners such as aspartame have centred on the fact that they contain methanol, which is a nerve toxin.

The EFSA panel said methanol is also found in other foods such as fruit and vegetables, while the exposure related to consuming aspartame was “low”. The findings echo the results of trials published by Britain’s Food Standards Agency last week, which found no evidence of harm.

But Erik Millstone, Professor of Science Policy at the University of Sussex, said the panel set up by the EFSA was dominated by experts linked to manufacturers or regulators that have previously supported aspartame. “I am very disappointed but not remotely surprised,” he said.

An EU-funded project in 2010 found pregnant women who down cans of fizzy drink containing artificial sweeteners appear to be at greater risk of having a premature baby. And an independent Italian study has suggested aspartame causes several types of cancer in rats. - Daily Mail

Related Topics: