It's used in everything from diet sodas to chewing gum.
从无糖汽水到口香糖,这个物质可谓无处不在。
Now artificial sweetener aspartame could be labeled a possible cancer risk.
现在,人造甜味剂阿斯巴甜可能被贴上了致癌风险的标签。
Reuters sources say the International Agency for Research on Cancer -- an arm of the World Health Organization -- will make the move next month.
路透社的消息源称,世界卫生组织下属的国际癌症研究机构将于下个月采取行动。
It will list aspartame as "possibly carcinogenic to humans".
该机构将把阿斯巴甜列为“可能对人类致癌的物质”。
The ruling is based on all published evidence, and is meant to spur more research into the product.
这项决定是基于目前所有已发表的证据,旨在刺激对该物质的更多研究。
It doesn't take into account how much a person can consume before facing a heightened risk.
不过并未将一个正常人摄入多少剂量才有更高致癌风险纳入考虑范围。
The news has drawn a furious response from drinks makers.
这一消息已经引起了饮料制造商的强烈反应。
The International Sweeteners Association said the IARC was acting on "widely discredited research".
国际甜味剂协会表示,国际癌症研究机构的这一行为是基于“广泛不可信的研究”。
Aspartame has been investigated for years. One French study showed slightly increased cancer risks in people who consumed a lot of the sweetener.
阿斯巴甜此前已被研究多年。法国的一项研究表明,食用大量这种甜味剂的人,患癌风险会略有增加。
But the results have been disputed and the product remains widely used. It's in products including Diet Coke, and Mars' Extra chewing gum.
但其研究结果存在争议,所以该物质仍被广泛使用。在健怡可乐和玛氏益达口香糖等产品中,都有用到阿斯巴甜。
The IARC is due to make public its decision on July 14.
国际癌症研究机构将于7月14日正式公布其决定。