Aspartame, cancer studies in rodents and a company decision
What it found
Rodent studies from an Italian research centre found consistent evidence linking aspartame to cancer.
A soft drink company removed the sweetener after those findings became public.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Cancer in rodents
Long-term studies in rodents at the Ramazzini Institute in Italy found consistent evidence that aspartame causes cancer.
Other findings
Company removed aspartame
PepsiCo Inc. decided to remove aspartame from a soft drink. The authors say this was likely based on the rodent cancer studies.
Study methods questioned
Some scientists have criticised these rodent experiments for not following international testing guidelines.
Past chemical discoveries
The same Italian research centre previously discovered cancer links for vinyl chloride, formaldehyde and benzene using the same methods.
What the authors conclude
- They suggest that international testing guidelines need to be re-evaluated.
- They warn that consumer opinion could undermine trust in regulatory agencies if methods are not reviewed.
How it was done
The authors wanted to examine how animal cancer studies influenced a major company to drop aspartame from its drinks despite regulatory reassurance.
They looked at long-term cancer studies in rodents done by the Ramazzini Institute in Italy. They also examined a decision by PepsiCo Inc. to launch a drink without aspartame.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These are rodent studies, so they cannot show what happens in people who eat or drink aspartame.
- Looking at a company decision cannot prove whether aspartame actually causes cancer in humans.
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 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error