His research was conducted for 36 months using 1,800 rats. It forced the conclusion that aspartame is a multipotential carcinogen. Cancers aspartame produced included leukemia, lymphoma, kidney, and cranial peripheral nerves among others. Only the rats fed aspartame got malignant brain tumors. This prodigious work was peer reviewed by 7 world experts.
This work confirmed studies presented to the FDA 25 years ago that documented a catalogue of brain, uterine, ovarian, testicular, mammary, pancreatic and thyroid tumors. Based on the evidence FDA denied approval of aspartame for 16 years from the time it was discovered. Then Don Rumsfeld, who was the CEO of NutraSweet's parent, the G. D. Searle Co., went to Washington to be newly elected Ronald Reagan's Secretary of Defense. The existing FDA Commissioner was asked to resign and aspartame was approved by Arthur Hull Hayes appointed by President Reagan. He did this over the objections of the FDA's scientific Board of Inquiry who had revoked the petition.