Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the World Health Organization declaring Aspartame as a potential carcinogenic in the context of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy.

No assessment has been made in relation to the use of aspartame in drinks in scope of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. The safety of sweeteners, including aspartame, is the responsibility of the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The FSA considers that the safety of aspartame has been evaluated by various Scientific Committees and it is considered safe at current permitted levels of use.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) report on the evaluation of the potential carcinogenic effects of aspartame has not yet been published. Once IARC’s report is published, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) will undertake their risk assessment on the use of aspartame as an additive. Following JECFA’s assessment, the FSA will review the evidence and decide whether any further actions are needed.