January 7, 2013

Aspartame and Equal are Safe According to Authorities



Although Equal-Aspartame is the subject of conspiracy theories, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame_controversy#Internet_hoax_conspiracy_theory

Aspartame is considered safe for human consumption by over 100 regulatory agencies worldwide including the
 
- the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
 
- the U.S. Government Accountability Office,
 
- UK Food Standards Agency,
- the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and
- Health Canada.
Large scale, peer reviewed, scientific tests have found extremely small risks. Note that nuts can kill some people. Have we all cut nuts out of our diet?
 

 "Aspartame has come under fire in recent years from individuals who have used the Internet in an attempt to link the sweetener to brain tumors and other serious disorders. But FDA stands behind its original approval of aspartame, and subsequent evaluations have shown that the product is safe...While questions about saccharin may persist, the safety of another artificial sweetener, aspartame, is clear cut, say FDA officials. FDA calls aspartame, sold under trade names such as NutraSweet and Equal, one of the most thoroughly tested and studied food additives the agency has ever approved. The agency says the more than 100 toxicological and clinical studies it has reviewed confirm that aspartame is safe for the general population.:

 ... It is true, says Hattan, that aspartame ingestion results in the production of methanol, formaldehyde and formate--substances that could be considered toxic at high doses. But the levels formed are modest, and substances such as methanol are found in higher amounts in common food products such as citrus juices and tomatoes."

Read this FDA statement in full for context. People are afraid of rare risks like terrorism or rare diseases - not crossing the road or driving at night which are vastly more dangerous.

DO YOU AGREE ASPARTAME-EQUAL IS SAFE?

Pete

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