Aspartame, a non-nutritive sweetener popular since the 1980s, has long been a preferred sugar substitute due to its low-calorie count and its potency—200 times sweeter than sugar. Its ubiquitous presence can be traced in numerous products from diet sodas, cough drops, and chewing gum to certain toothpastes. However, the safety of aspartame has recently come under scrutiny from two international bodies: The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). The two committees, which have been independently assessing the risks of aspartame, plan to release their findings on July 14th, 2023. James … Continue reading Aspartame Under the Microscope: The Bitter Truth about Your Sweet Substitute