(NaturalNews) Health Canada, the country's ministry of health, is considering lifting a 30-year ban on the artificial sweetener saccharin. According to ministry officials, new information has come to light that raises questions about whether the sweetener is truly carcinogenic or not.
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bottom lineWhat you need to know - Conventional View
• Saccharin is a high-intensity
artificial sweetener, best known by the brand name Sweet 'N Low. It was banned from use in
Canada in 1977, after it was found to increase test animals' risk of bladder cancer.
• Saccharin is widely used in the
United States, particularly in oral care products and tabletop
sweeteners, but used less in processed foods.
• In an article published in
Consumer Magazine in July 2006,
the FDA stated that there are no safety issues associated with any of the five artificial sweeteners approved for use as
food additives in the United States. The sweeteners are
saccharin, aspartame (NutraSweet brand), acesulfame-K, neotame and sucralose (Splenda brand).
• The Calorie Control Council, a U.S.-based
industry group, expressed pleasure at the announcement from Health Canada. Many consumer groups, however, have expressed concerns that the
government may be planning to expose Canadians to saccharin without definitive proof that is not a
carcinogen.
• Quote: "We're in the process of reviewing that
information to see if we should allow [saccharin] or keep it banned or change its regulatory status." - Health Canada Spokesperson Paul Duchesne
What you need to know - Alternative View
Statements and opinions by Mike Adams, executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center• Saccharin has been clinically proven to cause cancer in animal tests. The
FDA used to require a warning label on any product containing the artificial
sweetener, but food industry lobbyists were successful in reversing that requirement.
• The Calorie Control Council has a clear bias in representing the interests of industry over the interests of the public.
• A move by the Canadian government to lift the saccharin
ban in that country would be a loss for consumers and a victory for profit-driven food and chemical companies that are more interested in making money than in making safe products.
Bottom line
• The Canadian government is reviewing whether to lift its ban on the artificial sweetener saccharin.
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