Petition Launched to Ban Aspartame in Europe Amid Health Concerns
The League Against Cancer and Foodwatch demand removal of the artificial sweetener classed as a potential carcinogen by WHO.
On February 4, 2025, the League Against Cancer, the NGO Foodwatch, and the Yuka application launched a petition advocating for the prohibition of aspartame across Europe.
This artificial sweetener, which is approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar, is included in thousands of food and beverage products throughout the continent.
Discovered in the United States in 1965, aspartame has been utilized as a sweetener within the European Union since 1994.
In July 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a part of the World Health Organization (WHO), classified aspartame as a 'possible carcinogen for humans.' This classification has raised longstanding concerns regarding potential health effects linked to the additive, which is commonly used as a sugar substitute in a variety of low-calorie or sugar-free food products.
Laurence Cressin-Bensa, president of the League Against Cancer's committee in Alpes-Maritimes, highlighted that decades of scientific data have associated aspartame with health risks, including cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and disturbances in the microbiome.
Cressin-Bensa emphasized the petition’s focus on public health, noting that a YouGov survey conducted for Foodwatch indicated that 40% of surveyed Europeans regularly consume products containing aspartame.
An epidemiological study carried out by the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) in 2022 identified initial cancer risks linked to the consumption of as little as half a can of soda containing aspartame per day.
This threshold is considerably lower than the acceptable daily intake set by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, which is 40 mg per kilogram of body weight, and which Foodwatch deems 'outdated.'
Additionally, the French Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) stated that there is currently no evidence proving any benefits of aspartame concerning weight control or blood sugar regulation in diabetic patients.
Due to these concerns and invoking the precautionary principle—which is central to public health protection within the EU—Cressin-Bensa argued for urgent regulatory change to prevent consumer exposure to potentially avoidable risks, asserting that aspartame 'no longer has a place in the European market.'
The petition, which has garnered over 20,000 signatures, is supported across eleven countries, including Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.
The objective is to present the petition to the European Commission in order to exert pressure on institutions for the complete withdrawal of the artificial sweetener.
This is not the first time Foodwatch and the League Against Cancer have collaborated on such initiatives.
In 2019, they successfully petitioned for the removal of nitrites from food products, a move that resulted in numerous manufacturers removing such additives following support from over 500,000 signatories.
This artificial sweetener, which is approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar, is included in thousands of food and beverage products throughout the continent.
Discovered in the United States in 1965, aspartame has been utilized as a sweetener within the European Union since 1994.
In July 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a part of the World Health Organization (WHO), classified aspartame as a 'possible carcinogen for humans.' This classification has raised longstanding concerns regarding potential health effects linked to the additive, which is commonly used as a sugar substitute in a variety of low-calorie or sugar-free food products.
Laurence Cressin-Bensa, president of the League Against Cancer's committee in Alpes-Maritimes, highlighted that decades of scientific data have associated aspartame with health risks, including cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and disturbances in the microbiome.
Cressin-Bensa emphasized the petition’s focus on public health, noting that a YouGov survey conducted for Foodwatch indicated that 40% of surveyed Europeans regularly consume products containing aspartame.
An epidemiological study carried out by the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) in 2022 identified initial cancer risks linked to the consumption of as little as half a can of soda containing aspartame per day.
This threshold is considerably lower than the acceptable daily intake set by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, which is 40 mg per kilogram of body weight, and which Foodwatch deems 'outdated.'
Additionally, the French Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) stated that there is currently no evidence proving any benefits of aspartame concerning weight control or blood sugar regulation in diabetic patients.
Due to these concerns and invoking the precautionary principle—which is central to public health protection within the EU—Cressin-Bensa argued for urgent regulatory change to prevent consumer exposure to potentially avoidable risks, asserting that aspartame 'no longer has a place in the European market.'
The petition, which has garnered over 20,000 signatures, is supported across eleven countries, including Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.
The objective is to present the petition to the European Commission in order to exert pressure on institutions for the complete withdrawal of the artificial sweetener.
This is not the first time Foodwatch and the League Against Cancer have collaborated on such initiatives.
In 2019, they successfully petitioned for the removal of nitrites from food products, a move that resulted in numerous manufacturers removing such additives following support from over 500,000 signatories.
