A group of food manufacturers and exporters said on Friday that its products have no aspartame, the low-calorie sweetener which the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified as 鈥減ossibly carcinogenic to humans.鈥�
The Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Organization Inc. (Philfoodex), which counts more than 100 member companies in the food manufacturing industry, said it is 鈥渘ot affected鈥� by the WHO advisory also on Friday since its 鈥渕embers are not using this carcinogenic [sic].鈥� A carcinogen refers to any cancer-causing substance or agent.
鈥淲e only use sugar cane but they are expensive compared to the sweeteners used by our Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) neighbors,鈥� Philfoodex president Ruben See said in a message sent to the Inquirer when reached for comment.
Philfoodex includes big names, such as Goldilocks, Century Pacific and Monde Nissin; and popular brands, such as ChocoVron shortbread, Markenburg marshmallows and Lily鈥檚 peanut butter, among others.
The Philippine Chamber of Food Manufacturers Inc., whose members include the Philippine units of beverage giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo Inc., was also reached for comment but had yet to reply.
On their respective websites, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo said their diet soda brands Coca-Cola Zero and Pepsi Zero use aspartame.
鈥楳辞诲别谤补迟颈辞苍鈥�
Aspartame, which is about 200 times sweeter than table sugar, is also found in chewing gum, gelatin, ice cream, dairy products, such as yogurt and breakfast cereals, and even in toothpaste, cough drops and chewable vitamins.
But Francesco Branca, the WHO鈥檚 nutrition and food safety director, said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e not advising companies to withdraw products, nor are we advising consumers to stop consuming altogether.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e just advising for a bit of moderation,鈥� he told a press conference in Geneva which presented two reviews by the WHO of the available evidence on aspartame.
The WHO鈥檚 International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) carried out its first-ever evaluation of the carcinogenicity of aspartame at a meeting in Lyon, France, from June 6 to June 13.
IARC placed the sweetener under category Group 2B, based on limited evidence concerning hepatocellular carcinoma鈥攁 type of liver cancer.
Group 2B also contains extract of aloe vera and caffeic acid found in tea and coffee, said Paul Pharoah, a professor of cancer epidemiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.
But he added: 鈥淭he general public should not be worried about the risk of cancer associated with a chemical classed as Group 2B.鈥�
9 to 14 cans a day
A second group, the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (Jecfa), met in Geneva, Switzerland, from June 27 to July 6 to evaluate the risks associated with aspartame.
The group, formed by the WHO and fellow UN agency the Food and Agriculture Organization, said its data indicated no reason to change the acceptable daily intake (ADI)鈥攅stablished in 1981鈥攐f zero to 40 milligrams of aspartame per kilogram of body weight.
With a can of sugar-free soft drink typically containing 200 mg or 300 mg of aspartame sweetener, an adult weighing 70 kilograms would therefore need to consume more than nine to 14 cans per day to exceed the ADI, assuming no additional aspartame intake from other sources.
鈥淭he problem is for high consumers,鈥� Branca said. 鈥淪omebody who drinks a soda every once in a while 鈥� shouldn鈥檛 have a concern.鈥�
鈥淛ecfa has once again reaffirmed aspartame鈥檚 safety after conducting a thorough, comprehensive and scientifically rigorous review,鈥� said Frances Hunt-Wood, chief of the International Sweeteners Association, which said earlier the Group 2B classification puts aspartame in the same category as kimchi and other pickled vegetables.
But for Camille Dorioz, campaign manager at the consumer organization Foodwatch, Friday鈥檚 update leaves a 鈥渂itter taste.鈥�
鈥淎 possibly carcinogenic sweetener has no place in our food and drink,鈥� he said.
鈥擶ITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH
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