Food Firms Cautious Amid Recent Aspartame Controversy
Key Highlights :
The recent controversy surrounding aspartame has caused food firms to become increasingly concerned over whether or not to continue using the possibly carcinogenic artificial sweetener. Consumers may be uncomfortable ingesting even a small amount, industry officials said Sunday. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified aspartame in category Group 2B, meaning that there is limited evidence that suggests it may cause cancer.
In response, two confectionery giants, Orion and Crown, have decided to find alternative sweeteners. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), a person who weighs 70 kilograms would have to drink nine to fourteen cans of beverages containing 200 milligrams to 300 milligrams of aspartame to exceed the standard of acceptable daily intake of aspartame set by WHO. An Orion official said, “Although we use a very small amount of aspartame in 10 of our snack products, we decided to replace it with other artificial sweeteners considering the public's concern over it. There are many alternatives we can use, but we just need to figure out what will best maintain the quality of our product.”
Crown said that it is also looking for a new artificial sweetener, not because it can affect consumers' health, but because the company wants to relieve consumer anxiety over what they are eating. Meanwhile, Lotte Chilsung Beverage, which distributes the now controversial Pepsi Zero product, said that it will continue to use aspartame in the beverage. A Lotte Chilsung Beverage official said, “We have received an official stance from Pepsi Cola's headquarters in the United States that it is using safe amounts of aspartame in the soft drink. We will continue to offer the best quality products to consumers.”
Makers of Korean rice wine, makgeolli, need more time to decide whether to continue using aspartame or find new alternatives. About 85 percent of makgeolli products sold in the domestic market use aspartame. The cost of replacing them all with new artificial sweeteners could come as a considerable burden to producers. A Korean Makgeolli Association official said, “For now, the MFDS has confirmed the amount of aspartame used in makgeolli is safe to drink, so the companies are relieved. But they are still closely watching the market's reaction.”
In conclusion, the recent aspartame controversy has caused food firms to be more cautious when deciding whether or not to continue using the artificial sweetener. Companies are looking for alternative sweeteners in order to relieve consumer anxiety and maintain the quality of their products. However, the cost of replacing all makgeolli products with new artificial sweeteners could be a burden to producers. For now, the MFDS has confirmed that the amount of aspartame used in makgeolli is safe to drink, but companies are still closely monitoring the market's reaction.
