The World Health Organization will be declaring aspartame, frequently found in Diet Coke, a possible carcinogen next month. It’s an edict coming from their cancer research division.
Although, the organization notes, it would take a lot of effort to actually be at risk of getting cancer. A 135 pound adult would have to drink between 12 and 20 cans of Diet Coke a day.
But this new classification will allow corporations to fall prey to a bevy of lawsuits, as Reuters notes. Bayer, for example, was successfully sued for having glyphosate in its aspirin, which has been classified as a potential cancer causer.
The head of the International Sweeteners Association fired back saying the research of aspartame is “not scientifically comprehensive and is based heavily on widely discredited research.”
It should be noted that the news comes as a Reuter’s exclusive. This was a leaked opinion and classification that wasn’t due for public release until late fall.
And the director of the International Beverages Association made a key point. Would this force consumers to run back to sugary drinks? Will obesity become an even larger epidemic than it is now? This “could needlessly mislead consumers into consuming more sugar rather than choosing safe no- and low-sugar options,” the Association said.
This may be the beginning of a slippery slope, giving the government all the more control over what their citizens can eat and drink. In 2012, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg instituted a large soda ban, with Diet Coke included in the mix.
Looking at the bigger picture, if the government has say over food, they would have say over farming and thus industry. It’s just another step into moving into total societal control. Civil liberties be damned.
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