The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has something important to say about the sugar substitute aspartame.

Think about this:

Italian researchers concluded in 2005 that aspartame causes cancer. But Laura Tarantino of the FDA Office of Food Additive Safety concludes after a review of the study data that the low-calorie sweetener is not a carcinogen.

A similar review by the FDA's European counterpart agrees. There is no evidence this substance, used for 25 years to sweeten soda, gum, dairy products, and some medications, causes cancer.

Italian researchers say they will release their latest aspartame study results on Monday.

The European Food Safety Agency, EFSA, has evaluated and rejected the Ramazzini Institute research study that showed aspartame increases the risk for some cancers. The official stand from the EFSA is there is no cancer risk from aspartame, or the drinks and foods containing the artificial sweetener.

During the news conference, EFSA's Iona Pratt stated, "Our conclusion on the basis of all the evidence currently available to us is that there's no reason to revise the previously established acceptable daily intake, nor at this stage, to undertake any further extensive review of the safety of aspartame."

According to EFSA, the increased incidence of leukemias and lymphomas in the rats in the Ramazzini study could be explained as chronic health problems that made the animals predisposed to such conditions, and not consumption of aspartame. Huh? Did she just say the researchers started the study using sickly rats and that's why they developed tumors? The Ramazzini Institute, which tested aspartame on 1,800 rats over their entire lives, stands by its findings, and plans additional studies. This controversy is never -- ever -- really -- going to be settled.