The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) ruled this Friday that saccharin is safe for human consumption and has increased the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of this product from 5 to 9 milligrams per kilo of body weight per day.
The ADI, which reflects the safe amount of a substance that can be consumed daily throughout life, covers saccharin and its salts. sodium, calcium and potassium (E 954), the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (Aesan) stated in a statement.
The previous ADI was established in 1995 based on the highest incidence of bladder tumors observed in studies done with rats. However, there is now a scientific consensus that these tumors are specific to male and female rats. They cannot be extrapolated to human beings.
EFSA experts have reviewed all the available data in this regard, coming to the conclusion that saccharin does not cause DNA damage and its consumption is unlikely to be associated with cancer risk in humans. Furthermore, consumer exposure is below the recently obtained ADI, meaning it does not pose any health risk.
Saccharin is a sweetenera food additive that must appear on the labeling of food products and allow consumers to make informed decisions regarding their diet.