Potential consumer exposures to low/no calorie sweeteners: a refined assessment based upon market intelligence on use frequency, and consideration of niche applications

ABSTRACT

Data on current use levels of E950 acesulfame K, E952 cyclamic acid and its Na and Ca salts, E954 saccharin and its Na, K and Ca salts, E955 sucralose and E957 thaumatin, have been collected by the European food and drink industry in response to an EFSA call for data in support of its upcoming review of low/no calorie sweeteners (LNCSs). Careful evaluation of these data is necessary to allow for reasonably realistic estimations of consumer intake. Consumer patterns of product use and in particular of “niche” products, which are not likely to represent general LNCS exposure, are important to consider. Market survey data can identify food categories where the frequency of use of a given LNCS is so low as to represent a niche use of the product. The subsequent incorporation of information about these niche products can provide a relevant improvement in obtaining realistic exposure calculations. Using this approach, estimates of exposure are found to be comparable with previously published papers on intake and show levels generally below current ADIs, for most population groups.

Graphical Abstract

KEYWORDS:

• Risk assessment
• exposure
• intake
• acesulfame K
• cyclamic acid
• saccharin
• sucralose
• thaumatin

Conflicts of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors

Supplemental material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed on the publisher’s website.

Notes

1. This estimate is based on the assumption that an individual is a long-term brand-loyal consumer of one food category containing the food additive at the highest level reported/highest percentile different from the maximum level analysed and non-brand-loyal to the other food categories in the diet, which contain the food additive at the mean/median of typical reported use level or analytical data.

2. This estimate is based on the assumption that an individual is not brand-loyal to any specific brand available on the market and exposed to the food additive via the diet containing the food additive at the mean/median of typical reported use level or analytical data (non-brand-loyal scenario).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the International Sweeteners Association;FoodDrinkEurope.