Whether you’re a lifelong Diet Coke consumer or you’ve recently chewed sugar-free gum or eaten low-fat yogurt, chances are you’ve consumed aspartame.
The ubiquitous artificial sweetener is under new scrutiny after the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, said it will now list aspartame as a “possible carcinogen.” The move is controversial, as many health agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, have said the ingredient is safe. But most experts agree it’s a good idea to reduce our reliance on both sugar and artificial sweeteners.
To help consumers find out what foods contain aspartame, the nonprofit advocacy organization Environmental Working Group created a Food Scores database that rates the safety and nutrition of grocery items. The list of nearly 1,000 foods and beverages is not exhaustive, and it’s possible some foods that made the list have been reformulated.
What’s in your food? Find the artificial sweeteners in these sugar-free grocery items.
If you are concerned that you are consuming products with aspartame, the below tool can offer a glimpse of just how much of it is in our food supply.