An artificial sweetener is a chemical additive that gives foods and beverages the taste of sugar, without the caloric content.
Types of artificial sweeteners
- Saccharin was the first artificial sweetener to come into wide use and is created from phthalic anhydride. Saccharin was classified as a carcinogen after lab tests with rats showed cancer growths; however, this was determined to be not replicable in humans and, subsequently, saccharin was re-classified as not carcinogenic in humans. It is 300 to 500 times sweeter than sugar.
- Aspartame is derived from two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Some research indicates that aspartame causes brain and kidney tumors; other research indicates that there is no link between aspartame and any form of cancer. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar.
- Sucralose is chlorinated sugar. Though it contains chlorine atoms, there are no indications that the amount of chlorine can be toxic. It is 600 times sweeter than sugar.
- Cyclamate is the sodium or calcium salt of cyclamic acid. It was banned by the FDA after tests showed the development of bladder cancer in rats, but it is now pending re-approval on questions over whether the tests were valid for humans. It is 30-50 times sweeter than sugar.
Effects on environment
While few activists have opposed the manufacture of artificial sweetener, studies in Sweden demonstrating that the effluent of wastewater treatment plants contained a very high concentration of sucralose have concerned environmentalists who believe that the presence of artificial sweetener in water could change some organism's feeding behaviors. Sucralose has a half-life of as much as several years in water. Evidence does not indicate enormous concern over the single substance is warranted, but Swedish scientists have called for more thorough environmental impact reviews of all food additives before they are approved.
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