EU's inaction over artificial sweeteners leaves a bad taste

Campaigners said they were "outraged" that the European Union's (EU) food safety authority (EFSA) had refused to recommend tighter control of artificial sweeteners in the bloc.

EFSA carried out a regular re-evaluation of a compound of acesulfame K and aspartame, and said its panel had found "no safety concerns associated with the currently reported uses and use levels" of the chemicals.

The substances are widely used in "diet" drinks, food and even toothpaste, but the World Health Organisation in 2023 classified aspartame as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" and said it should be used in moderation.

Activist groups Foodwatch and the French Cancer League, which joined with health app Yuka last year to campaign for an EU-wide precautionary ban on aspartame, branded the EFSA decision "outrageous".

"We regret that the agency minimises the relevance of independent scientific findings linking aspartame consumption with potential health effects," they said in a statement.

"The history of aspartame's introduction and persistence on the market is a textbook illustration of how powerful corporate lobbying can shape food safety regulations."

The acceptable daily intake for aspartame is 40mg per kilogramme of body weight per day — roughly equivalent to several cans of sugar-free drink for an adult.

Aspartame and acesulfame K have been widely used for decades in products including gelatine, ice cream, yoghurt, breakfast cereals, toothpaste, cough drops and chewable vitamins.

EFSA was re-evaluating a more recent compound of the two chemicals known as aspartame-acesulfame salt, which is also now widely used