A key ingredient and common sweetener used in diet soft drinks, Aspartame, has been declared a potential cancer risk by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
According to a study issued recently by the WHO's cancer research unit, the sweetener, which is used as a sweetener in fizzy diet drinks like Diet Coke and sugar-free Sprite, has been labeled as a potential carcinogen for the first time.
The product is a low-calorie artificial sweetener, which is about 200 times sweeter than sugar and is commonly used as a substitute for sugar in foods and drinks, WHO explained. It is classified as an E number, which is a term commonly given to additives in food in drink products.
In the same connection, WHO also has released guidelines on non-sugar sweeteners (NSS), which recommends against the use of NSS to control body weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
The health agency warned that these ingredients in foods can have a long-term health impact, calling on drinks companies to consider an alternative substitute for sugar or sweetener.
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