Aspartame

Also labeled as: NutraSweet, E951

An artificial sweetener roughly 200 times sweeter than sugar, used in diet sodas, sugar-free gum, and powdered drink mixes.

Regulatory status: Permitted. In 2023 the WHO's cancer research arm (IARC) classified it as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2B) while the WHO/FAO food-safety committee (JECFA) kept its existing daily intake limit unchanged, calling current consumption levels safe.