Aspartame is found in numerous low-sugar or sugar-free packaged foods, including diet Coke and soda.

According to the WHO label, there is limited evidence connecting aspartame to cancer.

According to JECFA, the Joint WHO and Food and Agriculture Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives, an adult weighing 60 kilograms must consume more than 12 cans of diet soda to be at risk.

According to a 2021 study published in the journal Environmental Health, aspartame induces malignant tumors in multiple organs of rodents. In addition, in May 2023, the WHO issued a new guideline on non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) that discourages their use. Prior to this, the WHO's IARC classified mobile phone use, red meat consumption, and working overnight as carcinogens.

This has been criticized by several international bodies, which claim that aspartame is one of the cleanest artificial sweeteners, with over ninety food safety agencies worldwide declaring it to be safe.