Aspartame, a popular sugar substitute found in diet beverages, is undergoing scrutiny due to new research linking it to a possible increased cancer risk. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reviewed the safety of aspartame multiple times since approving it for consumption in 1981, and over 90 countries have approved its use. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for meetings to reevaluate its safety and may issue new warnings about the additive.

Two working groups within the WHO are currently reviewing the safety of aspartame. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) recently concluded a meeting to assess its potential carcinogenic effect, while the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) is meeting to update its risk assessment, including the determination of a safe daily intake. The WHO plans to release two reports on the safety of aspartame on July 14, one from the IARC and another from JECFA, providing their determinations together.

It is worth noting that the FDA has considered aspartame safe since 1974, but the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group, has raised concerns about its safety and nominated it for evaluation by the IARC in 2014 and 2019. The upcoming reports will classify aspartame into one of four categories: carcinogenic to humans, probably carcinogenic to humans, possibly carcinogenic to humans, or not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans.

The anticipation is that the WHO may express new concerns about aspartame based on these evaluations. However, it's important to await the release of the reports on July 14 to get the specific findings and conclusions regarding the safety of aspartame from the WHO.