safety of sucralose

[Guest guest]

Gretchen and all

Regarding the safety of sucralose, I came upon this post which consolidates

some past discussions:

crsociety/message/17051

I found this discussion to be particularly relevant:

Some excerpts from

http://www.caloriecontrol.org/sucralos.html

Discovered in 1976, sucralose has been developed jointly

by McNeil Specialty

Products Company, a member of the &

Family of Companies, and

Tate & Lyle, PLC, a world leader in sweeteners and

starches. Sucralose was

granted approval by the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) on April 1,

1998 and approved for use in 15 food and beverage

categories. This is the

broadest initial approval ever granted by FDA for a food

ingredient. The FDA

expanded the uses for sucralose in 1999, approving it as

a " general purpose "

sweetener. Sucralose has also been approved for use in

foods and beverages

in more than 40 countries including Canada, Australia

and Mexico.

Sucralose is not utilized for energy in the body because

it is not broken

down like sucrose. It passes rapidly through the body

virtually unchanged.

Sucralose has been extensively tested in more than 100

studies during a

20-year period and found to be a safe and remarkably

inert ingredient. It

can be used by all populations, including pregnant

women, nursing mothers,

and children of all ages. No population subgroup has

been excluded from

using sucralose. Sucralose is beneficial for individuals

with diabetes

because research demonstrates that sucralose has no

effect on carbohydrate

metabolism, short- or long-term blood glucose control,

or insulin secretion.

One advantage of sucralose for food and beverage

manufacturers and consumers

is its exceptional stability. It retains its sweetness

over a wide range of

temperature and storage conditions and in solutions over

time.

The safety of sucralose is documented by one of the most

extensive and

thorough safety testing programs ever conducted on a new

food additive. More

than 100 studies conducted and evaluated over a 20-year

period clearly

demonstrate the safety of sucralose. Studies were

conducted in a broad range

of areas to assess whether there were any safety risks

regarding cancer,

genetic effects, reproduction and fertility, birth

defects, immunology, the

central nervous system, and metabolism. These studies

clearly indicate that

sucralose:

Does not cause tooth decay, cancer, genetic changes,

birth defects

Has no effect on, carbohydrate metabolism, short- or

long-term blood glucose

control or insulin secretion, male or female

reproduction, the immune system

Copyright © 2000 Calorie Control Council