The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) issued the following statement on Dec. 10 in response to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) finding released  confirming the safety of aspartame for consumption:

“We welcome today’s finding by the European Food Safety Authority confirming the safety of aspartame for consumption by the general population, including pregnant women. According to EFSA’s expert panel, this opinion is based on one of the most comprehensive risk assessments of aspartame ever undertaken. These findings are further supported by decades of scientific research and determinations by numerous regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USDA), that have confirmed the safety of aspartame in food and beverage products.”

Based in Washington, the GMA represents more than 300 leading food, beverage and consumer product companies. The U.S. food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry generates sales of $2.1 trillion annually, employs 14 million workers and contributes $1 trillion in added value to the economy each year.