This Oct 10, 2011 file photo shows a can of Diet Pepsi, center, and other Pepsi varieties in Philadelphia. (PHOTO / AP)

BEIJING – China’s food safety assessment authority said on Friday it is safe to use aspartame, a common artificial sweetener used in many products, based on China’s current standards and regulations.

The announcement followed an article issued by the World Health Organization saying aspartame is “possibly carcinogenic to humans” but “safety is not a major concern” in the quantities people would normally consume.

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Aspartame is legally approved by the International Codex Alimentarius Commission and China, the US, the EU, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea

China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment issued an article explaining how to view the aspartame assessment results by the WHO and other international agencies.

The United Nations Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, or JEFCA, provided a review of what this means for people’s risk, maintaining its existing guidance on acceptable daily intake amounts.

Aspartame is a food additive legally approved by the International Codex Alimentarius Commission and China, the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea.

According to the assessment by China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, National Cancer Center and JEFCA’s latest guidance, the use of aspartame under China’s standards and regulations is safe.

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The center also said they will follow the reactions and measures of other countries to ensure food safety in accordance with the strictest standard.