supermarket
Editorial
Sweet new habits for the New Year: Sugar Substitute Solutions
January 7, 2008
As this is the first “official” week into the New Year, following not only Christmas, and Chanuka, but also Kwanzaa and Epiphany for those who celebrate those holidays, the temptation to binge-eat and binge-drink should be gradually subsiding inasmuch as we are packing away wreaths, menorahs and shiny seasonal decorations.
More people will obtain health spa/gym memberships or enter programs such as Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig this very week than any other time of the year due to holiday overindulgence. Others, who want to “have their [proverbial] cake and eat it, too,” will just independently monitor portion control more stringently. Still others will modify their diets by preparing the “cake” in a more calorie-conscious fashion, joining the 200 million Americans who forgo standard white table sugar as a sweetner for a significantly lower-calorie sugar substitute.
Green Supermarket Retailer, we realize your aim is to promote healthier eating habits in public consciousness (while, naturally, turning a satisfactory profit). If, however, you are not accustomed to selling diet soft drinks, pastries, candies and gum due to concerns over carcinogens and other ills associated with artificial sweeteners, SMGN is pleased to give you a concise rundown of the most common sugar substitutes, plus their advantages and disadvantages.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved five artificial sweeteners to date in America. They are: saccharin (Sweet’N Low, SugarTwin), aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet), sucralose (Splenda, V-8 Splash, Diet Rite), acesulfame K (Sunett, Sweet One), and neotame (found in reformulated Tang).
It should be noted that another natural sweetener, stevia, has not yet been approved by the FDA. Although used as a flavor enhancer for centuries in South America, the herb can be sold in the United States only as a dietary supplement. Without FDA approval as a sweetener, stevia cannot be labeled as such in foods or drinks, although it is found in some beverages and teas at health food stores. The largest U.S. agricultural company, Cargill, Inc. is said to be currently working to create a stevia sweetener for Coca-Cola.
Rosa Saenz, pediatric dietitian at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, says, "The FDA is trying to be very careful; they don't very easily let brand new sweeteners on the market.” Indeed, you will be pleased to know that both the the FDA and the World Health Organization (WHO) have confirmed that sugar substitutes are safe and do not, as once suspected, cause cancer.
"The only one that there's data like that on is saccharin," Saenz said. "It is only linked to bladder cancer in lab animals. The study they did was with a large dose -- more than what a human would be consuming at one time. It's not valid for passing judgment in humans.” Indeed, the unfortunate animals were given doses of saccharin equivalent to 800 cans of soda per day for a human.
The FDA has established acceptable daily intakes (ADI) for artificial sweeteners – the maximum amount considered safe if someone consumes them every day throughout his or her lifetime. The ADIs are extremely conservative, set at about 100 times less than the smallest amount that might cause health problems. Therefore, as you likely have surmised, consuming one, two or even three cans of diet soda per day (which is average for most diet-soda-drinking individuals) is not going to pose a significant health risk.
Saccharin’s equivalent ADI is 9-12 packets of Sweet’N Low or SugarTwin a day. Using the 100 to 1 safety ratio, you would have to add 900 to 1,200 packets a day into your coffee to place yourself at risk.
The most pressing concern about aspartame is that it can be harmful to people who have a rare hereditary disease phenylketonuria, also called PKU. This rare genetic disorder can cause serious health issues, such as mental retardation.
However, it is important to note that Patty Vickers, Saenz’s colleague and dietitian at the Tech Diabetes Center informs us that aspartame breaks down into two amino acids found in meat and cheese -- phenylalanine and aspartic acid. Vickers said aspartame and other artificial sweeteners are safe, if used in moderation, since some natural foods contain the same acids.
"An 8-ounce glass of milk contains six times more phenylalanine and 13 times more aspartic acid than an 8-ounce Diet Coke sweetened with Nutrasweet," she instructed.
Sucralose, again, commonly known as Splenda, was also approved by the FDA in 1998. A popular ingredient in baked goods, it does not break down when heated – as aspartame does – and has a longer shelf life. Sucralose starts out as the sugar molecule sucrose, then chemical alterations create its taste and stability.
Approved for use by the FDA in 2002, neotame, made by the company NutraSweet, is 8,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar. Impressively, people of all ages, including pregnant or breastfeeding women, children, and diabetics can safely consume products containing this sweetener. It is also safe for people with phenylketonuria. It is used in soft drinks, dairy products, dairy desserts, and chewing gum. Heating does not break it down; thus it also can be used in baked goods.
Approved in 1998, Acesulfame potassium (acesulfame K), marketed as Sweet One or Sunett, stays sweet even when heated to high temperatures. Some critics, however, feel that acesulfame has not been adequately studied and may pose a health risk.
Cyclamate, another artificial sweetener that was once present in popular drinks of yesteryear like Tab and Fresca was banned by the FDA in 1969 after animal studies suggested it might cause cancer. Although the FDA more recently has negated its position about the link to cancer, cyclamates have never been reintroduced in the U.S.A. Cyclamates, legal in Canada, are used in Canadian Sweet’N Low instead of saccharin (curiously, saccharin is banned in Canada).
In summary, Retailer, SMGN recommends that you not be overly concerned or alarmist about marketing your existing inventory of sugar-free foods and artificial sweeteners. Helping to prevent tooth decay, diabetes and obesity, the advantages seem to outweigh the potential disadvantages for the majority of consumers. If asked for your opinion, state the facts as revealed by the FDA and just remember to admonish users with the time-honored aphorism, “All things in moderation.” Hopefully, the majority of your customers will refrain from adding 900 to 1,200 packets of Sweet ‘N Low a day into their coffee.
By Lisa Carvin, Freelance Reporter