Aspartame and cancer in long-term animal studies
What it found
Long-term animal studies from the Ramazzini Institute found consistent evidence that aspartame causes cancer in rodents.
This is what the paper says most likely drove PepsiCo to drop the ingredient.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Cancer in rodents
Life-span cancer studies from the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center of the Ramazzini Institute gave consistent evidence that aspartame causes cancer in rodents.
Other chemicals found
The same lab first discovered cancer links for vinyl chloride, formaldehyde and benzene using the same methods.
Other findings
PepsiCo's decision
PepsiCo Inc. made an unprecedented decision to remove aspartame from a soft drink, most likely based on those animal cancer studies.
Criticism of the studies
The Ramazzini Institute experiments have been criticised for not following OECD guidelines.
What the authors conclude
“For the first time, the aspartame case shows how a corporation decided to ban an artificial ingredient in the wake of public opinion notwithstanding the regulatory assurance claims that it is safe.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say the newly launched aspartame-free soft drink may not be an isolated case.
- They argue the guidelines need to be re-evaluated to avoid the credibility of international regulatory agencies being compromised by consumer opinion.
How it was done
The authors say the aspartame case shows how a company decided to remove an artificial ingredient because of public opinion, even though regulatory agencies said it was fine. They point to the Ramazzini Institute's animal cancer studies as the likely reason.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These are animal studies. They can't show what happens in people.
- The paper is about a company's decision and regulatory guidelines, not a new experiment in people.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Bologna, Italy
The paper
- Title
- Aspartame, a bittersweet pill
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Paolini M, Vivarelli F, Sapone A, Canistro D (2017). Aspartame, a bittersweet pill. Carcinogenesis. doi:10.1093/carcin/bgw025PubMed 26912665DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error