Artificial sweetener in courts

March 8, 2005

Hi All,

Here seems to be an article on court battles over artificial

sweeteners.

Lawsuits Put New Focus on Splenda and Other Artificial

Sweeteners

By Colette Bouchez

WebMD Medical News

Reviewed By , MD

on Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Feb. 16, 2005 -- Courtroom battles between the makers

of Splenda and Equal have many questioning the safety

of artificial sweeteners.

Since early 2000 McNeil Nutritionals has been

advertising that its product -- Splenda -- is " made

from sugar so it tastes like sugar. " But the National

Sugar Association and Merisant Worldwide (maker of

Equal brand sweetener) have challenged that claim in a

lawsuit.

McNeil Nutritionals shot back with a countersuit

implying the case against them was more about

corporate sour grapes than truth in consumer

advertising.

But court battles and corporate backstabbing aside,

the question on consumers' minds is not so much

whether advertising slogans are right or wrong, but do

they really make a difference -- at home, on the

dinner table where it really counts?

Dietitian Restuccia, MS, RD, says they most

definitely do.

" Splenda is not sugar -- and to piggyback it on to the

reputation of the centuries' old profile of sugar is

more than misleading, it could come back to haunt us,

perhaps sooner than we think, " says Restuccia, a

nutritionist at the Center for Obesity Surgery at New

York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center

in New York City.

Indeed, while there are currently only a handful of

studies that question Splenda's safety and more than

100 which attest to its safe use, Restuccia says it

simply hasn't been around long enough to amass any

long-term data -- or even short-term data involving

heavy consumption.

What Happens When Sweeteners Interact?

" Sugar may have its health drawbacks, but at least we

know we're not in for any major surprises -- and we

just can't say that about Splenda yet -- so to imply

that it's got the same profile as sugar is misleading

and that is important today, as well as in the long

run, " she says.

Heller, MS, RD, agrees. " Saying Splenda is

made from sugar is like taking the round wheels off a

car and putting on square wheels. Is it still a car?

Yes. But can it still perform like a car? No -- and

what's more we don't know what's going to happen when

people try to 'drive it' cross country, " says Heller.

Indeed, while Splenda starts out as sugar, some

serious scientific tinkering goes on before it gets

into your coffee. As Heller explains, this involves

removing three atoms found in sugar and replacing them

with three atoms of the chemical chlorine. Some say

that form of chlorine is similar to what's found in

pesticides -- though in published reports the

manufacturer has denied that claim.

But while all that may not matter much to your taste

buds, experts say it takes on a new and more important

meaning as plans roll out to include Splenda in a wide

variety of treats, including more diet sodas, baked

goods, and even processed foods.

" It's not like you're going to be using a teaspoon in

your coffee once in a while -- it's going to be

everywhere, in everything, which makes it even more

important for people to understand what they are and

are not getting with this product, " says Restuccia.

Also important to note: Experts say we have almost no

data on the way in which artificial sweeteners

interact with each other -- particularly at high

amounts. And that, says Restuccia may come back to

haunt us even more.

" As more and more products are being made with

artificial sweeteners, there is more likelihood that

we will not only be consuming more of them but also

mixing different ones, sometimes in a single meal --

and we really have no idea what that means health

wise, in the short or the long run, " says Restuccia.

What About Other Artificial Sweeteners?

The FDA has approved five artificial sweeteners:

Acesulfame potassium (Sunett)

Aspartame (NutraSweet or Equal)

Sucralose (Splenda)

D-Tagatose (Sugaree)

Saccharin (Sweet 'N Low)

You may be surprised to see saccharin on that list. In

the 1970s, the FDA was going to ban saccharin based on

the reports of a Canadian study that showed that

saccharin was causing bladder cancer in rats. A public

outcry kept saccharin on the shelves (there were no

other sugar substitutes at that time), but with a

warning label that read, " Use of this product may be

hazardous to your health. This product contains

saccharin which has been determined to cause cancer in

laboratory animals. "

That warning label is no longer needed, says Ruth

Kava, PhD, RD, director of nutrition for the American

Council on Science and Health. Further research has

shown that male rats have a particular pH factor that

predisposes them to bladder cancer. " A lot of things

that cause harm in animals don't always cause harm in

humans, " she says.

Like saccharin, aspartame is another artificial

sweetener that -- though thoroughly tested by the FDA

and deemed safe for the general population -- has had

its share of critics who blame the artificial

sweetener for causing everything from brain tumors to

chronic fatigue syndrome.

Not so, says Kava.

The only people for whom aspartame is a medical

problem are those with the genetic condition known as

phenylkenoturia (PKU), a disorder of amino acid

metabolism. Those with PKU need to keep the levels of

phenylalanine in the blood low to prevent mental

retardation as well as neurological, behavioral, and

dermatological problems. Since phenylalanine is one of

the two amino acids in aspartame, people who suffer

from PKU are advised not to use it.

Some people can be sensitive to artificial sweeteners

and experience symptoms such as headaches and upset

stomach, but otherwise, there is no credible

information that aspartame -- or any other artificial

sweetener -- causes brain tumors, or any other

illness, says registered dietitian Vida, with

HealthPLACE, the health and wellness division of

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield in Pittsburgh.

Kava says that since artificial sweeteners are so much

sweeter than sugar, a very small amount is needed to

achieve the same sweetness one gets from sugar. " If

used normally, the amounts you take in are so

minuscule as to be of no concern at all. "

Another sweetener receiving much publicity of late is

stevia, an herbal sweetening ingredient used in food

and beverages by South American natives for many

centuries and in Japan since the mid-1970s.

According to Ray Sahelian, MD, author of The Stevia

Cookbook, stevia has shown no significant side effects

after more than 20 years of use in Japan. " There are

no indications at this point from any source that

stevia has shown toxicity in humans, " says Sahelian,

though he agrees that further research is warranted.

Because stevia is not FDA-approved, it cannot be sold

as an artificial sweetener; however it can be -- and

is -- sold as a dietary supplement. Because these

supplements are not regulated as well as those that

have received FDA approval, and therefore have no

guarantee of purity, Kava is leery about the use of

stevia. " This is a product that's just asking for good

research studies, " she says. " We just don't know

enough yet. "

With reporting by Carol Sorgen.

Cheers, Al Pater.

March 8, 2005

I don't know why a sugar standard is being used in assessing relative risks,

perception, etc. It appears to me that high fructose corn syrup is the most

common sweetener, and I know that my biochem prof (Bela Szapesi, sp?,

metabolic researcher, USDA) believed that " cirrhosis of the liver " from

metabolism of fructose, would be the epidemic of the upcoming generation.

Lately I hear a fair amount of " fatty liver disease " and keep meaning to

check to see if there is a difference between this and cirrhosis, or if it

just a euphemism. If I had stakes in the artificial sweetener industry, I

might direct examination toward the use of corn syrup (which is also a

recombinant dna byproduct anyway).

I am interested to learn more if anyone knows.

Best,

Kayce

From: " old542000 " <apater@...>

Hi All,

Here seems to be an article on court battles over artificial

sweeteners.

Lawsuits Put New Focus on Splenda and Other Artificial

Sweeteners

By Colette Bouchez

WebMD Medical News

Reviewed By , MD

on Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Feb. 16, 2005 -- Courtroom battles between the makers

of Splenda and Equal have many questioning the safety

of artificial sweeteners.

Since early 2000 McNeil Nutritionals has been

advertising that its product -- Splenda -- is " made

from sugar so it tastes like sugar. " But the National

Sugar Association and Merisant Worldwide (maker of

Equal brand sweetener) have challenged that claim in a

lawsuit.

McNeil Nutritionals shot back with a countersuit

implying the case against them was more about

corporate sour grapes than truth in consumer

advertising.

But court battles and corporate backstabbing aside,

the question on consumers' minds is not so much

whether advertising slogans are right or wrong, but do

they really make a difference -- at home, on the

dinner table where it really counts?

Dietitian Restuccia, MS, RD, says they most

definitely do.

" Splenda is not sugar -- and to piggyback it on to the

reputation of the centuries' old profile of sugar is

more than misleading, it could come back to haunt us,

perhaps sooner than we think, " says Restuccia, a

nutritionist at the Center for Obesity Surgery at New

York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center

in New York City.

Indeed, while there are currently only a handful of

studies that question Splenda's safety and more than

100 which attest to its safe use, Restuccia says it

simply hasn't been around long enough to amass any

long-term data -- or even short-term data involving

heavy consumption.

What Happens When Sweeteners Interact?

" Sugar may have its health drawbacks, but at least we

know we're not in for any major surprises -- and we

just can't say that about Splenda yet -- so to imply

that it's got the same profile as sugar is misleading

and that is important today, as well as in the long

run, " she says.

Heller, MS, RD, agrees. " Saying Splenda is

made from sugar is like taking the round wheels off a

car and putting on square wheels. Is it still a car?

Yes. But can it still perform like a car? No -- and

what's more we don't know what's going to happen when

people try to 'drive it' cross country, " says Heller.

Indeed, while Splenda starts out as sugar, some

serious scientific tinkering goes on before it gets

into your coffee. As Heller explains, this involves

removing three atoms found in sugar and replacing them

with three atoms of the chemical chlorine. Some say

that form of chlorine is similar to what's found in

pesticides -- though in published reports the

manufacturer has denied that claim.

But while all that may not matter much to your taste

buds, experts say it takes on a new and more important

meaning as plans roll out to include Splenda in a wide

variety of treats, including more diet sodas, baked

goods, and even processed foods.

" It's not like you're going to be using a teaspoon in

your coffee once in a while -- it's going to be

everywhere, in everything, which makes it even more

important for people to understand what they are and

are not getting with this product, " says Restuccia.

Also important to note: Experts say we have almost no

data on the way in which artificial sweeteners

interact with each other -- particularly at high

amounts. And that, says Restuccia may come back to

haunt us even more.

" As more and more products are being made with

artificial sweeteners, there is more likelihood that

we will not only be consuming more of them but also

mixing different ones, sometimes in a single meal --

and we really have no idea what that means health

wise, in the short or the long run, " says Restuccia.

What About Other Artificial Sweeteners?

The FDA has approved five artificial sweeteners:

Acesulfame potassium (Sunett)

Aspartame (NutraSweet or Equal)

Sucralose (Splenda)

D-Tagatose (Sugaree)

Saccharin (Sweet 'N Low)

You may be surprised to see saccharin on that list. In

the 1970s, the FDA was going to ban saccharin based on

the reports of a Canadian study that showed that

saccharin was causing bladder cancer in rats. A public

outcry kept saccharin on the shelves (there were no

other sugar substitutes at that time), but with a

warning label that read, " Use of this product may be

hazardous to your health. This product contains

saccharin which has been determined to cause cancer in

laboratory animals. "

That warning label is no longer needed, says Ruth

Kava, PhD, RD, director of nutrition for the American

Council on Science and Health. Further research has

shown that male rats have a particular pH factor that

predisposes them to bladder cancer. " A lot of things

that cause harm in animals don't always cause harm in

humans, " she says.

Like saccharin, aspartame is another artificial

sweetener that -- though thoroughly tested by the FDA

and deemed safe for the general population -- has had

its share of critics who blame the artificial

sweetener for causing everything from brain tumors to

chronic fatigue syndrome.

Not so, says Kava.

The only people for whom aspartame is a medical

problem are those with the genetic condition known as

phenylkenoturia (PKU), a disorder of amino acid

metabolism. Those with PKU need to keep the levels of

phenylalanine in the blood low to prevent mental

retardation as well as neurological, behavioral, and

dermatological problems. Since phenylalanine is one of

the two amino acids in aspartame, people who suffer

from PKU are advised not to use it.

Some people can be sensitive to artificial sweeteners

and experience symptoms such as headaches and upset

stomach, but otherwise, there is no credible

information that aspartame -- or any other artificial

sweetener -- causes brain tumors, or any other

illness, says registered dietitian Vida, with

HealthPLACE, the health and wellness division of

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield in Pittsburgh.

Kava says that since artificial sweeteners are so much

sweeter than sugar, a very small amount is needed to

achieve the same sweetness one gets from sugar. " If

used normally, the amounts you take in are so

minuscule as to be of no concern at all. "

Another sweetener receiving much publicity of late is

stevia, an herbal sweetening ingredient used in food

and beverages by South American natives for many

centuries and in Japan since the mid-1970s.

According to Ray Sahelian, MD, author of The Stevia

Cookbook, stevia has shown no significant side effects

after more than 20 years of use in Japan. " There are

no indications at this point from any source that

stevia has shown toxicity in humans, " says Sahelian,

though he agrees that further research is warranted.

Because stevia is not FDA-approved, it cannot be sold

as an artificial sweetener; however it can be -- and

is -- sold as a dietary supplement. Because these

supplements are not regulated as well as those that

have received FDA approval, and therefore have no

guarantee of purity, Kava is leery about the use of

stevia. " This is a product that's just asking for good

research studies, " she says. " We just don't know

enough yet. "

With reporting by Carol Sorgen.

Cheers, Al Pater.

March 8, 2005

I do recall seeing obesity listed as a risk factor for cirrhosis. I don't know

the direct mechanism but too much energy intake is

clearly stressful to many of our systems.

Assessing relative risk between sugar and sucralose is not simple. For myself

I'll avoid the known bad (extra calories) rather than

act on the commercially charged speculations about sucralose. I remain

interested in any " new " information on the subject, but

haven't heard any.

JR

-----Original Message-----

From: kayce cover [mailto:k_cover@...]

Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2005 2:01 PM

Subject: RE: [ ] Artificial sweetener in courts