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IARC and JECFA on aspartame

Aspartame hazard and risk assessment results released (IARC and WHO/FAO JECFA, 14 July 2023) — news release

Overview

WHO / IARC / JECFA. WHO news release 2023

IARC said 'possibly carcinogenic' on limited evidence; JECFA kept the safe daily limit of 40 mg/kg.

Does the study support the specific claim? Partly · Methodological quality: high

Study explained simply

What did the researchers want to find out?: Carcinogenic hazard and acceptable intake of aspartame.
How was the study done?: Joint hazard (IARC) and risk (JECFA) assessment (news release read in full).
How many people, animals or samples were studied?: Not applicable; General population
What was actually found?: IARC: Group 2B (limited evidence in humans for hepatocellular carcinoma; limited in animals; limited mechanistic). JECFA: no sufficient reason to change the ADI of 0-40 mg/kg bw; a 70 kg adult would need >9-14 cans/day (200-300 mg each) to exceed it. IARC classifications reflect strength of evidence, not risk at a given exposure.
How large was the observed effect?: ADI 0-40 mg/kg bw
What do the results mean in everyday life?: Normal intake is within the safe limit for most people.
What are the study's limitations?: Limited evidence base
What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?: Supports C-UPF-08 (fact); limits C-UPF-07.
Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?: Applies; aspartame (E951) authorised in EU.
What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?: That aspartame causes cancer.

Authors: WHO / IARC / JECFA
Journal: WHO news release
Year: 2023
Identifier
Verification: verified – URL fetch 2026-10-25: https://www.who.int/news/item/14-07-2023-aspartame-hazard-and-risk-assessment-results-released
Retracted: no
Corrections: none
Extent checked: full text
Conflicts of interest and funding: Not applicable

Carcinogenic hazard and acceptable intake of aspartame.

Study design: Risk assessment – Joint hazard (IARC) and risk (JECFA) assessment (news release read in full).
Population: General population
Country: Global
Period: 2023
Sample size: Not applicable
Inclusion and exclusion criteria: Not applicable

Results: IARC: Group 2B (limited evidence in humans for hepatocellular carcinoma; limited in animals; limited mechanistic). JECFA: no sufficient reason to change the ADI of 0-40 mg/kg bw; a 70 kg adult would need >9-14 cans/day (200-300 mg each) to exceed it. IARC classifications reflect strength of evidence, not risk at a given exposure.
Absolute risks: not applicable
Authors' conclusion: Safety not a major concern at commonly used doses; more research needed.

Not applicable.

Supports C-UPF-08 (fact); limits C-UPF-07.

None.

Applies; aspartame (E951) authorised in EU.

Authoritative context for IARC 2B.

Multidimensional assessment
Multidimensional assessment
Authenticity of the source	verified
Methodological quality	high
Risk of bias	not assessable
Precision of results	not applicable
Directness	direct
Reproducibility	not replicated
Consistency with the overall evidence	consistent
Regional transferability	high
Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive)	not applicable

Long-term risk.