When it comes to low-calorie sweeteners there are a lot of confusing and contradictory stories out there about their safety. Here at Sip & Savor we understand that it can be difficult to know what to believe.  The fact is that low-calorie sweeteners have repeatedly been deemed safe by the World Health Organization (WHO), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and have not been shown to cause cancer or any other disease in people.

Even the National Cancer Institute acknowledges that based on decades of scientific research, low-calorie sweeteners are safe ingredients to include in your diet. “There is no clear evidence that the artificial sweeteners available commercially in the United States are associated with cancer risk in humans.”

So why are there so many stories out there that claim that low-calorie sweeteners cause illness? Once again, food activists are portraying association as causation.  This is an issue we’ve written about before but continues to mislead consumers. Instead of sticking to the science that has proven for decades that these ingredients are safe, reporters quickly jump to conclusions whenever a new “study” is released showing an association without checking the facts.

Time and time again the FDA and EFSA have declared that aspartame, one of the most often critiqued sweeteners, is safe. In a letter from last year rejecting a petition to ban aspartame, the FDA stated “The safety of aspartame has been reviewed repeatedly, not only by FDA, but by other regulatory authorities, including those of Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Europe and Japan. All these authorities agree that aspartame is safe for the general population.”

Food activists would rather push their own agenda at the expense of instilling fear in consumers instead of reporting on the science. While this may make for a catchier story it cannot be taken at face value.  If you want to learn more about the facts on low-calorie sweeteners visit LetsClearItUp.org.