🍹⚠️💰 No Shake ‘Em Off: Beverage Companies Still Loyal to Aspartame Despite Health Warning

⬇️ Pidgin | ⬇️ ⬇️ English

Like eight years ago, PepsiCo decide for say ‘aloha’ to artificial sweetener aspartame from their diet soda, all cause customers start for worry about possible health kine stuffs. But, braddahs and sistahs, sales went flop! 💸 One year later, aspartame find its way back inside Diet Pepsi. 🔄

If you check the back of the Diet Pepsi can or bottle, and even that of Diet Coke, you going notice da top three ingredients are water, caramel color, and guess what… aspartame! 🥤💦🍬

If you walk through the grocery store, you going see this same kine aspartame not only in diet sodas, but also diet teas, sugar-free gums, sugar-free energy drinks, and even diet lemonade drink mix. Ho, you wouldn’t believe, thousands of products get aspartame inside ’em! 🛒🍵🍬🍹

Long time, people been giving side eye 👀 to aspartame, we sometimes call ’em by da brand name Equal, and whether we should be using ’em in food and drink. Just last Thursday, one agency from the World Health Organization (WHO) say aspartame might cause cancer, and they suggest people who drink plenty stuffs with aspartame to switch to water or other drinks with no sweet stuff inside. 🌍🔬🦠💧

But, even with all kine new artificial sweeteners, plus those made from plants and fruits, da big food companies still stuck on aspartame, and analysts no think they going break up with ’em this time around. Why, you ask? 🤔 Cause aspartame is one of the cheapest ways for replace sugar, works real good in drinks and mixes, and people just like how ’em taste. 🏭💰🍹😋

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration say they no agree with the WHO findings and keep saying aspartame is safe. Another WHO committee even say one 150-pound person gotta drink more than twelve cans of Diet Coke every day for go over the safe limit for aspartame. 🇺🇸🔬💉🥤

“Da big beverage companies been preparing for months, trying out different sweeteners, aiming for keep the taste and quality of the diet beverages as close as possible to the old kine,” said Garrett Nelson, who studies the beverage industry at CFRA Research. But they no likely for change the recipe unless they see a big drop in how much people want their product after the WHO report, he said. 🏢🔬🥤📉

Coca-Cola tell us for ask the American Beverage Association, the group that represents the industry. “Aspartame is safe,” says Kevin Keane, the interim president of the group. PepsiCo no say anything when we ask ’em for talk, but their CFO, Hugh F. Johnston, say he no think consumers going react big time. 🥤🇺🇸🏛️

This WHO agency assessment just make people more confused about aspartame, but it also one of the recent studies focusing on possible risks and questioning whether artificial sweeteners really get benefits. Few weeks ago, WHO say no use artificial sweeteners for control weight, cause their review of studies show no long-term benefits in reducing body fat in kids or adults. This review also suggest that the sweeteners tied to increased risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. 🧑🏽‍🔬🌍🏋️‍♀️🍬🧁💔

This year, researchers at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill release one study that found one chemical formed after digesting another sweetener, sucralose, can break up DNA and might contribute to health problems. 🏫🔬🧪🧬🤧

For long time, food and beverage companies and regulators typically brush aside research that question artificial sweeteners, saying the studies get problems or the health risks small kine.

Robert Rankin, president of the Calorie Control Council, the group that represents the makers and suppliers of almost two dozen alternative sweeteners, say in one email on Thursday, “Plenty scientific evidence shows that low- and no-calorie sweeteners provide effective and safe options to reduce sugar and calorie consumption.” 🏭🍬💻💡

True dat, most food and beverage companies that use aspartame no like switch cause aspartame cheaper than other options and is 200 times as sweet as sugar, meaning little bit go long way. 🏭💰🍬

“One of the benefits of aspartame is that it’s been made for so long that manufacturers have really refined the costs and processing of it so well and they get a superior product,” said Glenn Roy, one organic chemistry professor at Vassar College who worked over thirty years at food companies like NutraSweet, General Foods, and PepsiCo. 👨‍🔬🎓🏭🍬

Plus, the F.D.A. approve aspartame way back in 1974, giving companies plenty years of data and information on what aspartame can and cannot do in products. Like, it can enhance and extend certain fruit flavors, like cherry and orange, making it a preferred sweetener for beverages and chewing gum. But when heated, aspartame loses its sweetness, making it less desirable for baked or cooked products. 📚📝🍒🍊🥤🍬🍪🔥

Food and beverage companies putting out new no- or low-sugar products cause consumers like that, but many are being made with newer sweeteners, or a mix of sweeteners. Every new product gotta go through plenty sensory and flavor tests before it hit the market. 🏭🍬🍹👃👅🔍

But for products that been around for decades, like diet sodas, loyal customers used to one specific taste, and they might not like if companies change the ingredients, scientists warn. 🥤⏳💔👩‍🔬

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NOW IN ENGLISH

🍹⚠️ Despite Aspartame Warning, Beverage Companies Likely to Stick With It

About eight years ago, due to customer worries about possible health risks linked with the artificial sweetener aspartame, PepsiCo made the decision to take out the ingredient from its popular diet soda. Sales went down. 📉 A year later, aspartame made its way back into Diet Pepsi. 🔄

Now, if you check the labels of Diet Pepsi – and also its competitor Diet Coke – you’ll find that the top three ingredients listed are water, caramel color, and aspartame. 🥤💦🍬

If you walk through the grocery store, you will find aspartame listed not only in diet sodas but also diet teas, sugar-free gums, sugar-free energy drinks, and diet lemonade drink mix. It’s estimated that thousands of products contain aspartame. 🛒🍵🍬🍹

The use of aspartame, often known by the brand name Equal, has long been under scrutiny. The latest warning came last Thursday, when an agency of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that aspartame might cause cancer and advised people consuming a lot of aspartame-filled beverages to switch to water or other unsweetened drinks. 🌍🔬🦠💧

However, despite the emergence of many new artificial sweeteners, as well as plant- and fruit-based ones, Big Food can’t seem to let go of aspartame. This is due to the fact that aspartame is one of the least expensive sugar substitutes, it works especially well in beverages and mixes, and people like how it tastes. 🏭💰🍹😋

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in a swift response, said it disagreed with the WHO’s findings, reiterating its stance that aspartame is safe. Another WHO committee stated that a 150-pound person would need to drink over a dozen cans of Diet Coke a day to exceed the safe threshold for aspartame. 🇺🇸🔬💉🥤

“The big beverage companies have been doing contingency planning for months, trying different sweeteners, with the goal of making the taste and quality of diet beverages as consistent as possible with existing products,” said Garrett Nelson of CFRA Research. But, he added, they are unlikely to change the recipe unless they see a significant drop in consumer demand based on the WHO report. 🏢🔬🥤📉

Coca-Cola referred questions to the American Beverage Association, the industry’s lobby group, who reaffirmed the safety of aspartame. PepsiCo did not respond to questions for comment, but their CFO, Hugh F. Johnston, said he did not expect a big consumer reaction. 🥤🇺🇸🏛️

The WHO’s assessment adds to consumer confusion around aspartame. It also continues a recent series of research that focuses on potential risks and questions the true benefits of artificial sweeteners. 🧑🏽‍🔬🌍🏋️‍♀️🍬🧁💔

For many years, food and beverage companies, along with regulators, have dismissed research raising questions about artificial sweeteners, arguing that the studies were flawed or the health risks were minimal.

Robert Rankin, president of the Calorie Control Council, a lobby group for alternative sweeteners, stated, “A substantial body of scientific evidence shows that low- and no-calorie sweeteners provide effective and safe options to reduce sugar and calorie consumption.” 🏭🍬💻💡

Most food and beverage companies that use aspartame are reluctant to switch partly because aspartame is less expensive than other alternatives and is 200 times as sweet as sugar. 🏭💰🍬

Plus, the FDA approved aspartame in 1974, providing companies with decades of data on what aspartame can and cannot do in products. For instance, it can enhance and extend certain fruit flavors, like cherry and orange, making it a preferred sweetener for beverages and chewing gum. 📚📝🍒🍊🥤🍬

However, for products that have been around for decades, like diet sodas, loyal customers are used to a specific taste, and they might be turned off by changes in ingredients, scientists warn. 🥤⏳💔👩‍🔬