Aspartame Sensitivity in Self-Diagnosed "Sufferers" is a Myth, Suggests FSA Study

20 Mar 2015 --- The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published the results of a study examining the risk of aspartame consumption on the public, and found that it can be consumed safely and without any need for action to protect the health of the public.

The findings, which will be shared with the European food standards body, EFSA, follow EFSA’s own ruling in In December 2013, which concluded that aspartame was ‘safe for human consumption at current levels of exposure'.

The study concluded that the participants who were self-diagnosed as sensitive to aspartame showed no difference in their response after consuming a cereal bar, whether it contained aspartame or not. The study looked at various factors including psychological testing, clinical observations, clinical biochemistry and also metabolomics (which is the scientific study of small molecules generated by the process of metabolism).

The Hull/York paper was peer reviewed by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) in December 2013. COT concluded that 'the results presented did not indicate any need for action to protect the health of the public'.

Guy Poppy, FSA Chief Scientific Advisor, said: 'While the best available evidence shows that aspartame can be consumed safely, a number of individuals have reported adverse reactions after consuming food and drink containing aspartame. Given this anecdotal evidence it was appropriate to see if more could be found out about these reported effects. The Hull/York study was not designed to evaluate the overall safety of aspartame as it is already an approved additive.'

The study recruited individuals who reported reactions after consuming aspartame, alongside a matched control group of individuals who normally consume foods containing aspartame without problems. The aspartame was given in a cereal bar so that individuals could not distinguish between bars containing aspartame and the control bars.

The work took the form of a double blind randomised crossover study, the gold standard of scientific research. This type of study is designed to test the effect of a substance in such a way that neither the research team nor the participants know whether the bar consumed contains the test substance or not. Double blind studies therefore eliminate the risk of prejudgment by participants or researchers which could distort the results.

In December 2013, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published an opinion on aspartame following a full risk assessment after undertaking a rigorous review of all available scientific research on aspartame and its breakdown products, including both animal and human studies. The EFSA opinion concluded that 'aspartame and its breakdown products are safe for human consumption at current levels of exposure'.

The Aspartame Information Service responded to the ruling: “This was not surprising. Aspartame is a simple, low calorie sweetener made from parts of protein. It is digested completely to common dietary components, which occur widely in food we consume as part of our daily diet, such as meat, fish, milk, fruit and vegetables. These components are treated by the body in just the same way, whether they come from aspartame or from other foods.

“Of all the low calorie sweeteners, aspartame tastes most like sugar. By providing an excellent sweet taste without the calories of sugar, aspartame can help people avoid overweight and its consequences.”