How safe are nonnutritive sweeteners?

Answer 1

Through the years, questions have emerged about the safety of nonnutritive sweeteners, but these issues have since been resolved. For example, early research indicating that large quantities of saccharin caused bladder tumors in laboratory animals was later shown to be inapplicable to humans. Common sense dictates that consuming large amounts of saccharin is probably not safe, but consuming moderate amounts poses no known hazard. Aspartame, a sweetener made from two amino acids (phenylalanine and aspartic acid) is one of the most thoroughly studied food additives ever approved, and no scientific evidence supports the Internet stories that accuse it of causing disease. However, aspartame's phenylalanine base poses a threat to those with the inherited disease phenylketonuria (PKU). People with PKU cannot dispose of phenylalanine efficiently. Food labels warn people with PKU of the presence of phenylalanine in aspartame-sweetened foods. In addition, foods and drinks containing nonnutritive sweeteners have no place in the diets of even healthy infants or toddlers.