Free Republic

Sucralose, an artificial sweetener, cannot be broken down by humans or many microorganisms, leading to its presence in water systems. A study found that sucralose alters the behavior of cyanobacteria and diatoms, potentially disrupting ecosystems. More research is needed to understand its full environmental impact. New research explores the environmental implications of sucralose, showing its potential to disrupt aquatic microbial populations and stressing the need for further research to assess its full impact. Scientific research has well established that the human body cannot break down sucralose, an artificial sweetener present in numerous zero-calorie foods and beverages. Due to its stability,...

Oh no. Sucralose, which you probably consume even if you don't know you do, has been found to damage DNA in a new study: Sucralose, a chemical found in the popular zero-calorie sweetener Splenda, has been shown to cause damage to DNA, raise the risk of cancer and cause leaks in the gut lining, according to a new study from North Carolina State University. Yep. For all these years you've been crushing that Diet Coke With Splenda like Quint himself... ...Turns out it might not have been such a great idea. "Sucralose is utilized in tens of thousands of...

America’s favorite artificial sweetener could have some bitter health effects, including damage to your DNA. Splenda is the brand name for sucralose, often added to diet sodas, baked goods, chewing gum, gelatins and frozen desserts. It’s even found in drug products like Tylenol, Pepcid and cold and flu medicines. Splenda is 600 times sweeter than sugar and is the best-selling artificial sweetener in America, with sales roughly double those of its nearest rival, Sweet’n Low. But sucralose has been found to be genotoxic, meaning it breaks apart the DNA in chromosomes and can lead to cancer, according to new research...

A new study finds a chemical formed when we digest a widely used sweetener is "genotoxic," meaning it breaks up DNA. The chemical is also found in trace amounts in the sweetener itself, and the finding raises questions about how the sweetener may contribute to health problems. At issue is sucralose, a widely used artificial sweetener sold under the trade name Splenda. Previous work by the same research team established that several fat-soluble compounds are produced in the gut after sucralose ingestion. One of these compounds is sucralose-6-acetate. "To put this in context, the European Food Safety Authority has a...

Just because an artificial sweetener has zero or very few calories doesn't mean there are zero (or very few) health consequences to consuming the sachet. A randomized controlled trial recently found that regular consumption of sucralose (marketed as Splenda) and saccharin (marketed as Sweet'N Low) can alter microbes in the gut and elevate the body's response to sugar. These non-nutritive sweeteners are presumed to be chemically inert, but that may not actually be true. The findings of the recent trial, conducted among 120 participants who identified as strict abstainers from artificial sweeteners of any kind, suggest that regularly consuming some...

VIDEOThe reactions to the over-the-top BIZARRE Splenda packet rant by Alec Baldwin are pouring in and many of them are quite entertaining as you can see.

VIDEOAlthough Alec Baldwin has gotten a lot of criticism for not complying with a police request (subpoena), he has now gone beyond mere compliance by fully cooperating with authorities by voluntarily turning over his Splenda packet, a key piece of evidence that should go a long way towards establishing his innocence.

In response to falling sales of diet soda, last year PepsiCo changed the sweetener in its main calorie-free beverage, Diet Pepsi. Noting the health concerns that some customers have about the original sweetener in Diet Pepsi, aspartame, the company switched to a different sweetener last year to try to reverse a sales decline. Now sales are declining even faster. Customers had time to adjust to the idea of Diet Pepsi without aspartame, since rumors about sweetener tests have appeared in these very pages since 2012. The version of the beverage sweetened with a blend of sucralose (Splenda) and acesulfame potassium...

Sales of diet Pepsi have plunged after the soft drink company behind it changed the recipe. In a case with echoes of Coke’s disastrous introduction of ‘New Coke’, Pepsi has faced a huge backlash after replacing the sweetener in the drink. Pepsi chose to remove the controversial sweetener aspartame - linked to cancer in some studies - with sucralose. But customers aren’t happy. David Zimdars of Michigan said, ‘It has a nasty aftertaste, and it’s sickly sweet. You have to wash it out with water.' Pepsi’s choice of sucralose - known by the brand name Splenda - has been blasted...

Hawaiian Punch has switched to using sucralose. I’m not talking about the “diet” version – I’m talking about the regular version. Some (but not all) of the high fructose corn syrup (which is worse than sugar) has been replaced with sucralose. The result is that the drink is less thick than it used to be, and there’s also an aftertaste.

Sugar Substitutes: Healthy or Deadly? "Why do things taste so good? I'm telling you why, NutraSweet is why…" So went the song in a 1990 television advertisement. The video backed it up with images of family fun, male bonding, and cute kids - all consuming or presumably on the verge of drinking a diet soda. Sweeteners like aspartame would usher in an era of thin and happy. Barry Sears, the biochemist who came up with the Zone diet, says it's not that simple. "We now know data from Harvard Medical School in children who consume diet sodas gain weight," Sears...

PHILADELPHIA - The marketers of Splenda have made millions by confusing consumers into thinking the yellow packets contain a natural product and not an artificial sweetener, its chief rival told a jury Tuesday. Splenda has cornered the $1.5 billion market for sugar substitutes since its 2000 debut through false advertising that implies Splenda contains sugar, the manufacturer of Equal says. The Merisant Co., which makes Equal and NutraSweet, says Splenda is misleading customers with its tag line, "Made from sugar so it tastes like sugar." Splenda contains no sugar and is instead sweetened with a synthetic compound through a complex...

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The makers of Splenda and Equal on Friday settled a lawsuit over Splenda's disputed advertising slogan — "Made from sugar so it tastes like sugar." The settlement came after the jury announced that it had reached a verdict. Merisant Co., which makes Equal, accused Splenda of confusing consumers into thinking its product was healthier and more natural than other artificial sweeteners. Splenda's marketer, McNeil Nutritionals, countered that it simply has a better product backed by superior advertising. A McNeil spokeswoman in the courtroom said the amount of the settlement wouldn't be announced. The two sides planned to...

May 6, 2005 ATLANTA (CP) - The Coca-Cola Co., the world's biggest soft drink maker, said Monday it will begin selling Diet Coke sweetened with sugar substitute Splenda in the spring. Rival PepsiCo Inc., meanwhile, said it plans to reformulate its single-calorie drink Pepsi One with the sweetener as well. Shares of a major manufacturer of Splenda's key ingredient rose on the news. Diet Coke with Splenda will have a distinct label with the name of the sweetener on it as well as a yellow streak. Coca-Cola will continue to sell traditional Diet Coke, which is flavoured with aspartame, separately....

A bitter battle brews Splenda's advertising leaves competitors with a bad taste 3/20/2005 By Harold Brubaker Inquirer Staff Writer Depending on whom you ask, the remarkable success of Splenda is either the result of brilliant marketing, or the work of deceptive advertising. After just five years on supermarket shelves, the artificial sweetener - whose advertising slogan is "made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar" - has found its way into 20 percent of U.S. households and takes in 50 percent of the money spent on sugar substitutes. At least one competitor simply applauds McNeil Nutritionals L.L.C. of Fort Washington,...

You can never get enough from consumers and taxpayers. That apparently is the sugar industry's motto. Collect subsidies. Ban trade. Outlaw your competitors. Let the American people pay. These aren't good times for the sugar lobby. Sales were down 4.3 percent in 2004. Sugar Association President Andy Briscoe acknowledges, "Sugar has an image problem." Obviously, sugar doesn't cause obesity. Consuming too much sugar-laden food and drink causes obesity. Which is why sugar substitutes are a godsend for many Americans. With most diets drenched in calories, Equal, Sweet 'N' Low, and Splenda all offer a modest respite. Which is bad in...

The Sugar Association pays for a “consumer” Web site to scare the public with pseudo-science about Splenda.

Press Release Source: Texas Consumer Association Texas Group Takes Aim at Splenda's Campaign of MisinformationMonday January 31, 11:01 am ET Texas Consumer Association Asks the FTC to Investigate AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The Texas Consumer Association today asked the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to investigate the misleading and deceptive marketing campaign being conducted by Johnson & Johnson's McNeil Nutritionals for its artificial sweetener Splenda. By continually using the word "sugar" in its advertisements and in its packaging, McNeil is attempting to link Splenda and sugar in consumers' minds and convince consumers that Splenda is somehow "more natural" --...

Dieters hoping for a slew of new products with the sugar substitute Splenda may be disappointed next year. That's because the maker of sucralose, the key ingredient behind the increasingly ubiquitous no-calorie sweetener, is having trouble keeping up with demand. Tate & Lyle PLC, the world's only manufacturer of sucralose, said interest has so outpaced expectations the company won't take on new U.S. customers until it has doubled production at it's plant in McIntosh, Ala., sometime in early 2006. The company also plans to open a second plant in Singapore, according to a written statement. Buoyed by a surge in...