Statement of EFSA on the scientific evaluation of two studies related to the safety of artificial sweeteners
Abstract:The European Food Safety Authority was asked to provide scientific advice on two studies, namely a carcinogenicity study in mice (Soffritti et al., 2010) and a prospective cohort study on the association between intakes of artificially sweetened soft drinks and preterm delivery (Halldorsson et al., 2010) and to conclude on the need to revise previous evaluations of aspartame or of the other sweeteners authorised in the European Union. The study by Soffritti et al. (2010) is a long‐term carcinogenicity study in… Show more
“…Examples include work on the safety and regulation of low-calorie sweeteners in the United States [18], and analysis of the safety aspects of authorized sweeteners in the European Union by EFSA [19]. Open Journal of Applied Sciences This raises the need for regulation by health authorities and constant re-evaluation to ensure the safety of these food additives [20]. This presupposes good organization and detailed information on the presence and frequency of these substances in everyday consumer products.…”
Sweeteners and flavor enhancers are food additives widely used in industry, respectively, to add sweetness and flavor to foods. However, the presence of these substances is often criticized by consumers for their effects on health. What's more, some scientific studies link these substances to certain pathologies. To guarantee food safety, competent authorities should have food standards based on risk analysis using consistent, reliable data. However, in developing countries, such data is often weak or non-existent. The aim of this study is therefore to carry out a pilot survey to establish the profile of sweeteners and flavour enhancers present in industrial food products marketed in Senegal. The methodology consisted of sampling various food products sold on the Senegalese market, based on analysis of labels containing information on ingredients, including additives. The investigation involved nine stores, one supermarket and 5 mini-markets in Dakar. The results showed the presence of 6 taste enhancers in food products, the most frequent being sodium L-monoglutamate (E621), inosinate (E631) and disodium guanylate (E627). Solid broths are the foodstuffs with the highest number of taste exhalters. As for sweeteners, 12 substances were identified, the most frequent being acesulfame potassium (E950), aspartame (E951), sucralose (E955) and saccharin (E954). Given the potential health risks associated with the consumption of these food additives, their control and monitoring on the market should be a priority for the competent authorities.
“…Examples include work on the safety and regulation of low-calorie sweeteners in the United States [18], and analysis of the safety aspects of authorized sweeteners in the European Union by EFSA [19]. Open Journal of Applied Sciences This raises the need for regulation by health authorities and constant re-evaluation to ensure the safety of these food additives [20]. This presupposes good organization and detailed information on the presence and frequency of these substances in everyday consumer products.…”
Sweeteners and flavor enhancers are food additives widely used in industry, respectively, to add sweetness and flavor to foods. However, the presence of these substances is often criticized by consumers for their effects on health. What's more, some scientific studies link these substances to certain pathologies. To guarantee food safety, competent authorities should have food standards based on risk analysis using consistent, reliable data. However, in developing countries, such data is often weak or non-existent. The aim of this study is therefore to carry out a pilot survey to establish the profile of sweeteners and flavour enhancers present in industrial food products marketed in Senegal. The methodology consisted of sampling various food products sold on the Senegalese market, based on analysis of labels containing information on ingredients, including additives. The investigation involved nine stores, one supermarket and 5 mini-markets in Dakar. The results showed the presence of 6 taste enhancers in food products, the most frequent being sodium L-monoglutamate (E621), inosinate (E631) and disodium guanylate (E627). Solid broths are the foodstuffs with the highest number of taste exhalters. As for sweeteners, 12 substances were identified, the most frequent being acesulfame potassium (E950), aspartame (E951), sucralose (E955) and saccharin (E954). Given the potential health risks associated with the consumption of these food additives, their control and monitoring on the market should be a priority for the competent authorities.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.