Key Ingredient In Drink Guzzled By Musk, Trump Labeled Possible Cancer Hazard By WHO: What You Should Know

The World Health Organization (WHO), on Wednesday, announced that aspartame — a key ingredient in Diet Coke that Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump are known to guzzle — could potentially cause cancer. The decision was keenly awaited since last month.

What Happened: The WHO declared that aspartame, a widely used artificial sweetener in diet drinks and low-sugar foods, might be a potential carcinogen, The New York Times reported.

The I.A.R.C. based its conclusion on limited evidence from three observational studies that linked the consumption of artificially sweetened beverages to an increase in cases of liver cancer.

According to their calculations, a person weighing 150 pounds could still consume about a dozen cans of diet soda a day without increasing their risk of cancer. "Our results do not indicate that occasional consumption should pose a risk to most," Dr. Francesco Branca, director of the W.H.O. Department of Nutrition and Food Safety.

Despite this, another WHO committee held steady on its assessment of a safe level of aspartame consumption.

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Why It Matters: Diet Coke brand holds a market share of 8% in the U.S., as per 2021 data, according to Statista. As one of the Coca-Cola Company’s leading brands, Diet Coke’s popularity remains high despite concerns over its impact on health. 

Musk, the most followed person on Twitter, previously said he “doesn’t care if the drink lowers my life expectancy,” highlighting the widespread consumption of aspartame-containing products. 

It was also reported that Trump was constantly downing Diet Coke during his 2016 campaign trail.

Differing Takes: The American Beverage Association, representing Coca-Cola KO and PepsiCo PEP, has been vocal in saying that the WHO’s food additive panel — not the cancer experts — should be the lead authority evaluating aspartame.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has criticized the global agency’s findings. The FDA maintains its stance that aspartame is safe, disputing the classification of the sweetener as a possible carcinogen by the I.A.R.C.

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Editor’s Note: Artificial intelligence was used as a secondary aid in the writing of this story.

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