The hypothesis is based for now on studies on in vitro cells. The study was sent for evaluation to the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA)
Artificial sweeteners are making headlines again. A study by researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows that the sucralose-6-acetatean intermediate product and an impurity that is formed during the production of sucralose, could be genotoxic and damage the DNA of exposed cells. This discovery, published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, is based on in vitro experiments on human blood cells and intestinal wall tissue from which it was seen that the expression of genes associated with inflammationat the oxidative stress and al cancer and how you seem to compromise the permeability of the bowel wall. Susan Schiffman, lead author of the research, said: This study raises concerns about potential health effects and it is time to review the safety and regulatory status of sucralose. Schiffman has also sent her investigation to the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA). We are currently reviewing the safety of sucralose in the context of a safety review of all food additives, including sweeteners, which were already authorized for use in the European Union before 20 January 2009, begins Federica Lodi, scientific officer at the ‘EFSA.
Where is sucralose found?
Sucralose has been authorized in Europe as a food additive (European Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008) to sweeten foods and beverages without adding calories. authorized in 31 food categories, including carbonated drinks, chewing gum, cereals, sauces, jams. Maximum permitted levels range from 10 to 3,000 mg/kg. In table-top sweeteners in liquid, powder and tablet form, however, “quantum satis” (just enough) is permitted.
As recognized on the label
The sweet taste of sucralose was discovered at Queen Elizabeth College London in 1976, as part of a program of chemical modification of sucrose, table sugar, for possible industrial applications. It had impressed because its sweetening power is up to 650 times higher than traditional sugar.
Consumers can easily spot the presence of sucralose in the list of ingredients on product labels, she continues. As with all food additives, even sucralose, after its authorization on the European market, was assigned a code, consisting of the letter “E”, a progressive number, in this case “E-955”.
A safe daily dose
The latest assessment in Europe was published in 2000 by the Scientific Committee of human food which established an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of sucralose of 15 mg/kg body weight. The ADI is an estimate of the amount of a food additive, expressed in relation to body weight, which can be ingested daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risks, says the expert. Furthermore, as reported in the opinion of the Scientific Committee for Human Nutrition, after the administration of single oral doses, the elimination half-life, i.e. the time it takes for the concentration of a substance in the blood to decrease to half of the initial value, was about 25 hours in humans. This would suggest that accumulation in humans is unlikely. In any case, at the end of EFSA’s ongoing review, it is possible that the ADI could be updated in the light of new data and scientific knowledge.
Next deadline 2024
In June 2021, EFSA also launched a further request for genotoxicity data for many of the sweeteners currently under review to ensure complete and necessary data to guarantee the safety standards required in the EU. It is a process that follows the normal evolution of scientific knowledge and the updating of methodologies and guidelines used for risk assessment, continues Lodi. Therefore, in addition to the results already published by Professor Schiffman, we are waiting to receive other results that will help evaluate the potential of sucralose and other sweeteners to interact with genetic material. We expect to complete the re-evaluation of sucralose in the course of 2024. At that point, the European Commission and national authorities will decide whether any changes to the legislation are needed, for example by introducing restrictions or limitations on currently permitted uses.
The possible benefits
There is also a flip side. In 2011, EFSA’s Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens approved a scientific opinion on health claims relating to some sugar substitutes including sucralose together with others (xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, lactitol, isomalt, erythritol, D-tagatose, isomaltulose and polydextrose), concludes the doctor. In this opinion, the experts confirmed the role of sucralose in maintaining tooth mineralization and reducing glycemic responses after a meal.
June 24, 2023 (change June 24, 2023 | 06:34)
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