Brussels, 18/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - The ALDE Group organised a hearing on 16 March on the potential dangers of aspartame. Under the chairmanship of MEPs Corinne Lepage (France) and Antonyia Parvanova (Bulgaria), the hearing brought together several specialised scientists on the matter, as well as representatives from EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), the European Commission, industry and NGOs.
After the hearing, Corinne Lepage expressed her shock at “the failure to examine the subject more thoroughly, and the close links that have been established between industry, EFSA and the Commission, each one passing the buck to the others”. Such an attitude, she said, has meant that looking at the health effects of aspartame is not taken seriously. She believes it is inadmissible that the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for aspartame, which was calculated in 1980 based on non-independent studies supplied by the manufacturer and taken as not questionable, still serve as the basis and that neither EFSA nor the Commission are willing to re-open the discussion. Antoniya Parvanova took up the question saying that “aspartame is a substance to which millions of consumers are exposed on a daily basis” and that “for this reason (…), the European health authorities should commit themselves proactively to the gathering of data and the supervision of complementary and independent studies, instead of being passive and waiting for additional data to come to them”. The MEPs call: 1) for toxicology data on the ADI to be communicated to the scientific community and that the data be recalculated based on studies that are independent from the manufacturer; 2) EFSA to take position on the new studies which tend to show the toxicity of aspartame; and 3) for the principle of precaution to be applied, and for public information to be made available on the uncertainties concerning health implications and that pregnant women be informed about the potential danger to the foetus. (I.L./transl.jl)