Aspartame is one of the world's most popular sweeteners, used in products from Coca-Cola diet sodas to Mars' Extra chewing gum. In its first declaration on the additive, announced early on Friday, the Lyon-based International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said aspartame was a "possible carcinogen". Several scientists not associated with the reviews said the evidence linking aspartame to cancer is weak. There was also some limited evidence that aspartame has some chemical properties that are linked to cancer, the IARC said. Scientists with no links to the WHO reviews said the evidence that aspartame caused cancer was weak.

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Persons: Francesco Branca, " Branca, JECFA, Branca, Mary Schubauer, Paul Pharaoh, Pharaoh, Kate Loatman, Frances Hunt, Wood, Richa Naidu, Caroline Humer, Catherine Evans Organizations: World Health Organization, WHO, Agency for Research, Cancer, Food, Agriculture Organization, FAO, Reuters, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, International Council of Beverage Associations, International, Thomson Locations: Lyon, Geneva, United States, Europe, Cedars, Los Angeles