Aspartame
أسبارتام
Sweetener (artificial)
The verdict
Cancer-classified by WHO in 2023 — skip if you can.
What it is
Artificial sweetener about 200x sweeter than sugar. Common in diet sodas, sugar-free gum, and some yogurts.
The same sweetener in your Diet Coke was classified 'possibly carcinogenic to humans' by WHO/IARC in July 2023. JECFA kept the safety limit at 40 mg/kg the same day. The science is genuinely contested — and the regulators don't agree.
Evidence & status
IARC carcinogen group
2B
Acceptable intake
0-40 mg/kg bw/day (reaffirmed 2023)
EU status
approved
US · FDA status
approved (GRAS)
Halal status: halal
Synthesized chemically; no animal or alcohol sources. Halal across all major schools.
Also known as
NutraSweet · Equal · AminoSweet · E 951
Primary source
Evidence, not medical advice. You decide.
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