Artificial Sweetener Update

摘要

In my last month's column we examined the status of the 'sweetener wars' which continue to rage in response to the low calorie demand from consumers. The appearance of new sweeteners is accompanied by rumors and reports from pro and con groups. Of paramount importance among the deluge of reports is the issue of safety. As pointed out in my last report on the subject, facts on the newest sweeteners will most assuredly be incomplete because long term effects can not be determined by short term studies.The U.S market relies on the screening decisions made by the FDA, and, as with most decisions, not all agree John Henkel, a staff writer for the FDA, has written extensively on the subject of sugar substitutes in American life. The information following is an encapsulated summary of some parts of his comprehensive report which first appeared in 1999 and was revised in December 2004.