Aspartame: What is it and what does science say about the artificial sweetener?

In a report published on Thursday, the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classed the sugar substitute as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”

An artificial sweetener commonly used in thousands of products including diet fizzy drinks, ice cream and chewing gum has been listed as posing a possible cancer risk to humans (PA)

Aspartame – an artificial sweetener used in diet fizzy drinks, ice cream and many other products – is a possible cause of cancer but can be safe to consume in moderation, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In a report published on Thursday, the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classed the sugar substitute as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”.