Estimated intake of intense sweeteners from non-alcoholic beverages in Denmark, 2005

In 2005 International Standards Organization. ISO 17025. 2005. General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories, Copenhagen: Danish Standard [Google Scholar], 76 out of 177 analysed samples of non-alcoholic beverages were found to contain the intense sweeteners cyclamate, acesulfame-K, aspartame, and saccharin. The content of cyclamate did not exceed the now permitted maximum level in the European Union of 250 mg l^?1 in soft drinks. The estimated intake of the sweeteners was calculated using the Danish Dietary Survey based on 3098 persons aged 1–80 years. The estimated intake with 90th percentiles of 0.7, 0.8 and 0.2 mg kg^?1 body weight day^?1 for acesulfame-K, aspartame, and saccharin, respectively, was much lower than the acceptable daily intake values of 15, 40, 7, and 2.5 mg kg^?1 body weight day^?1 for acesulfame-K, aspartame, and saccharin, respectively, and on the same level as in the similar investigation from 1999. In contrast to the 1999 investigation, the 90th percentile of the estimated cyclamate intake in 1–3 year olds with 3.7 mg kg^?1 body weight day^?1 was in 2005 lower than the acceptable daily intake of 7 mg kg^?1 body weight day^?1. However, the 99th percentile for 1–3 year olds with 7.4 mg kg^?1 body weight day^?1 still exceeded the acceptable daily intake slightly. The 90th percentile for the whole population with 0.9 mg kg^?1 body weight day^?1 was halved compared with 1999. The reduction in the European Union of the maximum permitted level for cyclamate from 400 to 250 mg l^?1 has brought the intake of cyclamate in small children down to well below the acceptable daily intake value.     

Occurrence of caffeine,saccharin, benzoic acid and sorbic acid in soft drinks and nectars in Portugal and subsequent exposure assessment

A reliable method for the determination of benzoic and sorbic acids, caffeine and saccharin in soft drink and nectars using high performance liquid chromatography and UV detection was validated. The chromatographic separation was achieved with a C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm) and one buffered mobile phase, KH₂PO₄ 0.02 M/ACN (90:10)/phosphoric acid at pH 4.2. The effluent was monitored at 220 nm.     

Estimated intake of the artificial sweeteners acesulfame-K, aspartame, cyclamate and saccharin in a group of Swedish diabetics.

Few sweetener intake studies have been performed on the general population and only one study has been specifically designed to investigate diabetics and children. This report describes a Swedish study on the estimated intake of the artificial sweeteners acesulfame-K, aspartame, cyclamate and saccharin by children (0-15 years) and adult male and female diabetics (types I and II) of various ages (16-90 years). Altogether, 1120 participants were asked to complete a questionnaire about their sweetener intake. The response rate (71%, range 59-78%) was comparable across age and gender groups. The most consumed 'light' foodstuffs were diet soda, cider, fruit syrup, table powder, table tablets, table drops, ice cream, chewing gum, throat lozenges, sweets, yoghurt and vitamin C. The major sources of sweetener intake were beverages and table powder. About 70% of the participants, equally distributed across all age groups, read the manufacturer's specifications of the food products' content. The estimated intakes showed that neither men nor women exceeded the ADI for acesulfame-K; however, using worst-case calculations, high intakes were found in young children (169% of ADI). In general, the aspartame intake was low. Children had the highest estimated (worst case) intake of cyclamate (317% of ADI). Children's estimated intake of saccharin only slightly exceeded the ADI at the 5% level for fruit syrup. Children had an unexpected high intake of tabletop sweeteners, which, in Sweden, is normally based on cyclamate. The study was performed during two winter months when it can be assumed that the intake of sweeteners was lower as compared with during warm, summer months. Thus, the present study probably underestimates the average intake on a yearly basis. However, our worst-case calculations based on maximum permitted levels were performed on each individual sweetener, although exposure is probably relatively evenly distributed among all sweeteners, except for cyclamate containing table sweeteners.