Two separate World Health Organization expert panels have declared the sweetener aspartame a "possible carcinogen". However, it remains safe to consume within the recommended levels already established.

Aspartame is one of the most widely used sweeteners in the world. It is present in Coca-Cola products and in chewing gum. At a press conference before announcing their decision, WHO officials said that if consumers are hesitant about drinking cola with sweetener or sugar, they should instead switch to a third option and drink water instead.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, based in Lyon, France, has declared aspartame a "possible carcinogen", meaning there is limited evidence that this substance can cause cancer, Reuters writes. How much is a risk is up to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, which said there was no convincing evidence of harm from aspartame and maintained its recommendation that people consume less than 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day. This means that a person weighing between 60 and 70 kilograms would need to drink over 10 ken of cola per day to exceed this limit.

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