title: Aspartame, a bittersweet pill.
abstract: 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. PepsiCo Inc. made an unprecedented decision most likely based on life-span carcinogenicity bioassay studies from the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center of the Ramazzini Institute (CMCRC/RI), which provide consistent evidence of aspartame's carcinogenicity in rodents. Although CMCRC/RI experiments have been criticized for not complying with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines, the newly launched aspartame-free soft drink may not be an isolated case. In the light of vinyl chloride-, formaldehyde- or benzene-associated carcinogenicity discovered for the first time by CMCRC/RI in the same way, it seems the guidelines need to be re-evaluated to avoid the credibility of international regulatory agencies being compromised by consumer opinion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Moreno
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paolini
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vivarelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sapone
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Canistro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001218:Aspartame / Q000633:toxicity*; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D015197:Carcinogenicity Tests / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D011634:Public Health / Q000592:standards*; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D013549:Sweetening Agents; D001218:Aspartame