Podcast: aspartame as a possibly carcinogenic sweetener – 07/20/2023 – Podcasts

The new classification of aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic” by the World Health Organization (WHO) raised questions about the use of the sweetener. Last week, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, linked to the WHO, included the substance on the list of those on the second level of a scale ranging from “not classifiable”, the first, to “carcinogenic”, the last.

Aspartame is the main sweetener in sugar-free soft drinks, used by the food industry as well in most diet products. The decision was based on the scientific production on the subject. A committee of 25 experts from 12 countries evaluated studies related to the development of cancer in humans and clinical trials in animals.

The definition can guide public policy and health organizations, but the WHO said it was not a radical guideline. In Brazil, the National Cancer Institute has recommended that people not use artificial sweeteners such as aspartame. Anvisa already indicated the consumption within the daily limit maintained by the WHO, of 40 mg/kg.

This Thursday’s Breakfast (20) explains what the new classification given to aspartame by the WHO means, discusses alternatives to the product and analyzes the effects of the advertisement on people’s relationship with food. The podcast interviews Paulo Augusto Miranda, president of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism.

The audio program is published on Spotify, streaming service partner of Sheet in the initiative and which specializes in music, podcast and video. You can listen to the episode by clicking above. To access the application, just register for free.

Breakfast is published from Monday to Friday, always at the beginning of the day. The episode is presented by journalists Gabriela Mayer and Gustavo Simon, with production by Carolina Moraes, Laila Mouallem and Victor Lacombe. Sound editing is by Laila Mouallem and Raphael Concli.