Earlier this year, Coca-Cola unveiled its sugar-free carbonated drink Zero in China, but in recent days rumors have been spreading quickly around the Chinese Internet that the carbonated beverage is unfit for human consumption.

The rumors and accompanying articles say the aspartame that Zero contains is a sugar substitute "deemed to be a neurotoxin which can affect the nervous system. The common symptoms that caused by sugar substitute include headache, memory decline, epilepsy, vision loss, stupor and cancer. Aspartame will overly stimulate or disturb nerve endings and increase muscle tension to cause partial headache." The circulating article also quoted from research results.

Coca-Cola China reportedly made a statement on its official website on July 8, 2008, retorting the view in that article and says it is totally unfounded. Coke said, "In fact, more than 200 authoritative scientific researches have already proved that aspartame has nothing to do with cancer."

The statement also says that Food and Drug Administration of the U.S. has approved the use of aspartame in 1981; while the World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Scientific Committee on Food of the EU and health agencies of over 100 countries all acknowledge that aspartame is safe to use. In China, aspartame is also reportedly a sweetener that can be used in food and drinks approved by China's Ministry of Health.