It is one of the most discussed sweeteners of recent years and now it is back in the spotlight. In September, EFSA could publish a long-awaited scientific opinion in the context of the re-evaluation of the aspartame-acesulfame salt (E 962), a process which also includes the analysis of new studies available on aspartame (E 951).
Foodwatch is drawing attention to this new possibility, which together with Yuka and La Ligue Contre le Cancer launched a petition in February 2025 – which collected over 400 thousand signatures in Europe – to ask the European Union to ban aspartame.
But what could happen in the coming months? And above all, are we really faced with a new evaluation of aspartame?
EFSA is re-evaluating E 962
Let’s start from an important point to understand the story. EFSA is not conducting a new autonomous re-evaluation of aspartame E 951, which already underwent a full evaluation in 2013. The Authority is instead working on the safety of aspartame-acesulfame salt (E 962), a combination of aspartame and acesulfame K.
Since specific data on E 962 is limited, new scientific data available on aspartame from 2013 onwards are also taken into account in this procedure. And it is precisely this aspect that has rekindled the expectations of those who have long been calling for action on the controversial sweetener.
According to Foodwatch, the complete opinion could be published in September 2026 and could provide new useful elements also for deciding whether to intervene on the current conditions of use of aspartame.
What is aspartame and where is it found?
Aspartame, identified on the label with the acronym E 951, is a low-calorie artificial sweetener with a sweetening power approximately 200 times greater than that of sugar.
In the European Union it can be used in several food and drink categories, including soft drinks, desserts, sweets, dairy products, chewing gum, low-calorie products and some products intended for weight control. Its presence must be indicated on the label through the name of the additive or the number E 951.
Despite the controversy surrounding it, aspartame is still authorized in the EU.
What EFSA established in 2013
The last full evaluation of aspartame by EFSA dates back to 2013. On that occasion the Authority concluded that the sweetener and its degradation products did not raise safety concerns at the exposure levels considered. The Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) was set at 40 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, and this is still the reference threshold used by EFSA today.
In the meantime, however, new studies have emerged and above all the scientific framework around the substance has changed.
Possible carcinogenic effect and other risks
One of the passages that most reignited the debate dates back to 2023, when the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”, placing it in group 2B. This classification, however, is not equivalent to saying that aspartame certainly causes cancer at the doses normally consumed.
In the same year, JECFA, the joint FAO/WHO expert committee on food additives, concluded that it was not necessary to change the ADI of 40 mg/kg body weight per day. These are therefore two assessments that must be read together: the IARC mainly assessed the intrinsic danger of the substance, while the JECFA carried out a risk assessment linked to exposure.
Since then the scientific debate has not stopped. Some more recently published studies have also raised questions about possible associations with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other health effects.
Foodwatch cites, among others, some studies published during 2025 that highlight a possible increased risk of delayed puberty, type 2 diabetes and ischemic strokes, as well as an impact on the intestinal microbiota.
However, it is important not to turn these results into definitive conclusions about human health. And this is precisely why EFSA’s new analysis will be interesting: it will have to comprehensively evaluate the new evidence available and insert it into the framework of existing knowledge.
What could happen
The passage of September, therefore, does not automatically mean that aspartame will be banned in Europe. However, if the assessment were to highlight new elements capable of modifying the previous safety framework, it could pave the way for regulatory intervention. The European Commission itself, in a 2025 response to the campaign promoted by Foodwatch, Yuka and La Ligue Contre le Cancer, explained that it could adopt, if necessary, appropriate risk management measures based on the updated EFSA reassessment.
For now, therefore, E 951 remains authorized and its ADI remains set at 40 mg/kg body weight per day. The real news expected in the coming months will be to understand whether the evidence collected over the last decade will be sufficient to change, even only partially, the European regulatory framework.
That’s why September could be an important month for the future of aspartame.
