The F.D.A. And Aspartame

Aspartame and the companies that produce it were dealt a major blow by a recently published study that confirmed previous tests showing it is a cancer-causing agent. The fake sugar is found in many diet drinks as well as baked goods that substitute the real stuff that comes from sugarcane. With this additional evidence, you would think our own regulatory agency would do something about it, but when it comes to the Food and Drug Administration these days the people's health just isn't a major factor anymore.

From The Sydney Morning Herald:

The US Food and Drug Administration says there is no need for an urgent review of the safety of aspartame, despite a new study showing the sweetener may cause cancer.

A US consumer group has called for the review after Italian researchers published a new study that showed aspartame - widely used in soft drinks - might cause leukaemia, lymphoma and breast cancer in rats.

"This is the second study by the same lab showing that aspartame causes cancer in rats," Centre for Science in the Public Interest executive director Michael Jacobson said.

Of course the soft drink industry will deny the findings, that is a given. The F.D.A. however is supposed to be non-biased and if there is a study showing that the chemical may cause cancer, it should be thoroughly investigated. As the article notes, the rats in the F.D.A.'s previous studies were all killed at two years, which does not allow researchers to see the long-term effects.

The industry relies on the F.D.A. as proof that the independent findings are wrong because the F.D.A.'s reputation is still largely intact. Unfortunately for people that do not know, the Bush Administration has wrecked the independence of that agency just like so many other parts of our government.