The Use of Nonnutritive Sweeteners in Children

Abstract

The prevalence of nonnutritive sweeteners (NNSs) in the food supply has increased over time. Not only are more children and adolescents consuming NNSs, but they are also consuming a larger quantity of NNSs in the absence of strong scientific evidence to refute or support the safety of these agents. This policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics is intended to provide the pediatric provider with a review of (1) previous steps taken for approved use of NNSs, (2) existing data regarding the safety of NNS use in the general pediatric population, (3) what is known regarding the potential benefits and/or adverse effects of NNS use in children and adolescents, (4) identified gaps in existing knowledge and potential areas of future research, and (5) suggested talking points that pediatricians may use when discussing NNS use with families This document is copyrighted and is property of the American Academy of Pediatrics and its Board of Directors. All authors have filed conflict of interest statements with the American Academy of Pediatrics. Any conflicts have been resolved through a process approved by the Board of Directors. The American Academy of Pediatrics has neither solicited nor accepted any commercial involvement in the development of the content of this publication. The guidance in this statement does not indicate an exclusive course of treatment or serve as a standard of medical care. Variations, taking into account individual circumstances, may be appropriate. All policy statements from the American Academy of Pediatrics automatically expire 5 years after publication unless reaffirmed, revised, or retired at or before that time.

Role of different nutrient profiling models in identifying targeted foods for front-of-package food labelling in Brazil

“…In addition, most of the NNS categories already have a maximum limit of use established by the Brazilian government based on the potential risks (24) . Taken together, better informing consumers about the presence of NNS in foods and beverages while more studies that link the consumption of NNS with health outcomes are conducted could prevent potential future harm, particularly among children for whom evidence on the long-term effects of NNS use is more limited (41) . Toddlers are an even more concerning group considering NNS should not be part of their diet (42) .…”

“…Toddlers are an even more concerning group considering NNS should not be part of their diet (42) . Because of the increasing use of NNS in foods and beverages, further evidence on their contemporary intake, including type and amount, is warranted; as well as more information about the type and quantity of NNS present in various foods and beverages (41) . Including clearer information for the presence of NNS in foods and beverages could also nudge the food industry to lower the content of added sugars in products with a high content of total or added sugars without the obvious substitution for NNS (43) .…”

Low-calorie sweeteners in the human diet: scientific evidence, recommendations, challenges and future needs. A symposium report from the FENS 2019 conference

“…Source: Logue et al (4) children and, for some affected by certain conditions (e.g. obesity, type I and type II diabetes), there may be a benefit for the use of LCS if substituted for nutritive sweeteners (namely free sugars) (13) . The only exception is the use of aspartame and neotame in children with phenylketonuria (PKU), since both these LCS contain phenylalanine which cannot be metabolised by those with PKU (13) .…”

“…The American Academy of Pediatrics has recently released a policy statement ( 13 ) on the use of LCS in children, noting in their key findings and recommendations that when substituted for sugar-sweetened foods or beverages, LCS can reduce weight gain or promote weight loss (albeit to a small extent) in children (and adults) but recognising that data are limited. They found no absolute contraindications to LCS use in children and, for some affected by certain conditions (e.g.…”

Identification of metal content in food using gravimetric and iodometric methods: The case on children's food

“…The use of additives in food is a very dangerous action (Martyn et al 2012). These additives can engineer nutrients in food and tend to degrade these nutrients (Baker-Smith et al 2019). Food contaminated with additives tend not to have nutrients and damage human nerve cells.…”