-Caveat Lector-
Iceland stores ban sweetener in tumour link fear
Dominic Rushe
ICELAND, the grocer, will announce this week that it is
banning aspartame, the artificial sweetener better known as
NutraSweet, from its own- label foods.
The move follows growing concern among consumers about
a possible link between the sweetener and brain tumours.
Aspartame is consumed by 250m people worldwide and has
been used in low-calorie food and drinks such as Diet Coke
for 20 years.
But in recent years there have been increasing fears about
possible health risks. The compound has been linked to
multiple sclerosis and even Gulf war syndrome.
These worries, spread on the internet, are hotly disputed by
NutraSweet's owner, Monsanto, the GM (genetically
modified) food giant.
Iceland will become the first national grocers' chain to
impose a ban and the move will be closely watched by its
larger rivals. Iceland is trying to reposition itself as a "green"
grocer and has already banned other artificial colours and
flavourings from its own goods.
Malcolm Walker, Iceland's chairman, was the first grocer to
ban GM foods and coined the term "Frankenstein foods".
The move will spark a full- scale row between the grocery
chain and Monsanto.
A NutraSweet spokeswoman said: "Iceland is spreading
alarm when it should be reassuring customers. The web has
become a real problem [and ] there is a lot of misinformation
about."
An Iceland executive said that the company will tell staff
tomorrow that it will no longer supply food with aspartame
under its own label and will be switching to other artificial
sweeteners. The company will continue to sell branded
products that contain NutraSweet such as Diet Coke.
The grocer's executives recently held talks with the
International Sweeteners Association, which represents the
multi-billion-pound industry. But despite being given
assurances that NutraSweet was perfectly safe, Iceland
decided to impose a ban.
King's College, London, is conducting a three-year study to
establish whether there is a link between aspartame and
brain tumours. Reports in America have found conflicting
evidence of a link. There, 20 billion cans of soft drink are
consumed each year, most containing NutraSweet.
Bill Wadsworth, Iceland's technical director, said a full-scale
ban was being considered. "We are taking the matter
seriously because of the weight of customer pressure we are
coming under."
Monsanto is in the process of selling its sweetener division.
Protests from consumers and environmental groups in
Europe - many debating the issue on the internet - have hurt
the company's growth prospects and its stock market value
has plummeted.
Wadsworth said: "Clearly the internet is playing a major role
bringing this debate to public attention."
The Sunday Times, 24 October 1999
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