This photo taken May 12, 2023, shows a variety of products of “makgeolli,” a traditional Korean grain-based alcoholic drink, being offered during the Korea Makgeolli Expo that opened at the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. Center in Seoul on the same day. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, July 4 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s food and beverage industry is grappling with difficulties due to the increasing likelihood of the artificial sweetener aspartame being classified as a potential carcinogen.
According to a Reuters report, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an international organization operating under the World Health Organization (WHO), intends to include aspartame in its list of substances that are “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”
Aspartame is an ingredient found in Pepsi Zero, a zero-sugar beverage distributed by Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co. in South Korea.
Lotte Chilsung Beverage is currently engaging in discussions with the beverage giant to address this issue, according to industry sources.
Aspartame is also a component of almost all makgeolli, a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage made from grains.
“Aspartame is utilized as an ingredient to enhance the sweetness of food and beverage products,” said an official at Seoul Jangsoo Co., a makgeolli brewer.
“We have received official approval from the WHO’s expert committee on food additives as an additive.”
Nevertheless, if aspartame is classified as a potential carcinogen, it is conceivable that it could significantly impact the overall food market.
The reason being that consumer anxiety might extend to the entire range of sweeteners.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
