Aspartame-cancer risk refuted

ROME – The popular diet sweetener aspartame won another round in the safety debate when a European panel of scientists said Friday there’s no sign it raises the risk of cancer.

An Italian study last year wrongly concluded the sugar substitute led to higher rates of lymphoma and leukemia in rats, said the experts who advise the European Food Safety Authority.

“There is no reason … to undertake any further extensive review of the safety of aspartame,” said Iona Pratt, a toxicologist who headed the panel.

The findings support a large U.S. federal study released last month, which found no link to cancer in a study of aspartame use among more than half a million Americans.

Aspartame is found in thousands of products, including diet sodas, chewing gum, dairy products and even many medicines. It’s sold under the brand names NutraSweet, Equal and Canderel.

The new review of its potential health risks found that the number of tumors in rats did not increase in relation to the dosage of aspartame fed to the animals. Many of the rats in the study had suffered from chronic respiratory disease and the panel said that was the most likely cause of the tumors.

The food safety scientists were also satisfied with the current European level set for its safe daily consumption – a maximum of 40 milligrams per 2.2 pounds of body weight – saying that the limit is well above what people consume normally.

The Italian researchers who conducted the rat study insisted that their initial findings were correct and pledged to continue studying the subject.