Places Introducing 'No Aspartame' Products
However, Experts Warn Against 'Excessive Fear'
"2B Carcinogen Is the Lowest Grade"
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), under the World Health Organization (WHO), is set to classify the artificial sweetener aspartame as a possible carcinogen, complicating calculations for the domestic and international food industries.
Unlike other processed foods, kimchi products manufactured in China have no standards for aspartame use, and convenience stores have introduced aspartame-free products to ease consumer concerns.
According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on the 4th, among 1,737 imported Chinese kimchi products last month, 1,468 (84.5%) were found to use aspartame as the main sweetener.
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener known to be 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is used as a sweetener in various processed foods, including the recently popular zero-calorie soft drinks.
However, reports have emerged that IARC is expected to classify aspartame as a Group 2B possible carcinogen as early as mid-this month, raising consumer interest in foods containing aspartame.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has already set standards for aspartame use in processed foods distributed domestically. The limits are set at 5.0g/kg or less for bread and snacks, 1.0g/kg or less for cereals, and 5.5g/kg or less for health functional foods.
However, there are no specific standards for aspartame use in kimchi products. This means manufacturers can use as much as needed. It is reported that companies manufacturing and selling kimchi domestically use plum concentrate, sugar, and other alternatives instead of artificial sweeteners like aspartame.
Meanwhile, some companies are releasing new processed foods without aspartame to alleviate consumer concerns. For example, convenience store CU announced on the 5th that it will exclusively launch 'Baekgeolli,' an aspartame-free Makgeolli, in partnership with Theborn Korea. This product is characterized by using no sweeteners, including aspartame, and deriving sweetness solely from rice.
The liquor retailer 'Homsul.com' also announced it will hold a 'No Aspartame Makgeolli' event throughout this month, offering discounts on Makgeolli products known not to contain aspartame.
On the other hand, some experts say that foods containing aspartame do not necessarily need to be avoided.
Medical doctor Hong Hye-gul wrote on his Facebook on the 4th, "Aspartame is a Group 2B carcinogen, the lowest classification," explaining, "Electromagnetic waves, kimchi, aloe, and ginkgo leaf extracts also fall under this category."
He added, "If 1 is dangerous, be cautious to the extent of 1; if 100 is dangerous, be cautious to the extent of 100."
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