Louisiana Residents Want to Check Out Study on Sweetener

You might want to know about the latest research about a popular sweetening product found in many products we consume.

A new study published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health says "properties of sucralose-6-acetate and its parent sucralose could potentially be harmful to human cells and possibly cause DNA damage and cancer."

The report says this sweetener is commonly sold as Splenda. The researchers looked at sucralose-6-acetate, which is produced in the manufacturing of sucralose. The research says "small amounts of sucralose-6-acetate can be found in some commercial sucralose products, like Splenda."

This study is further evidence of the dangers of artificial sweeteners. Previous studies suggest that artificial sweeteners increase risk of heart disease and cancer.

According to the authors, "Overall, the toxicological and pharmacokinetic findings for sucralose-6-acetate raise significant health concerns regarding the safety and regulatory status of sucralose itself."

What Does the FDA Say About Artificial Sweeteners?

Sweeteners or sugar substitutes, such as aspartame, sucralose, and stevia derived substances, are ingredients used to sweeten and in some cases enhance the flavor of foods. Some sweeteners are much sweeter than table sugar, and smaller amounts are needed to achieve the same level of sweetness as sugar in food. People may choose to use sweeteners instead of sugar for various reasons. For example, sweeteners contribute only a few or no calories to the diet and generally will not raise blood sugar levels.

“Our new work establishes that sucralose-6-acetate is genotoxic,” says Susan Schiffman, corresponding author of the study and an adjunct professor in the joint department of biomedical engineering at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She told Sci Tech Daily:

“We also found that trace amounts of sucralose-6-acetate can be found in off-the-shelf sucralose, even before it is consumed and metabolized."

“To put this in context, the European Food Safety Authority has a threshold of toxicological concern for all genotoxic substances of 0.15 micrograms per person per day,” Schiffman says. “Our work suggests that the trace amounts of sucralose-6-acetate in a single, daily sucralose-sweetened drink exceed that threshold. And that’s not even accounting for the amount of sucralose-6-acetate produced as metabolites after people consume sucralose.”

The Heartland Food Products Group, which owns the Splenda Brand says the sweetener does contain sucralose, but they say it does not contain S6A, which is what this research was focused on.

The company issued this statement:

"Unequivocally, the alleged findings of this study as reported by the news media are false and no one should rely on this study in any way.  Splenda is a safe and effective alternative to sugar and is recommended every day by Healthcare Professionals to aid in weight loss and diabetes management. Splenda brand sweetener products are safe and effective."