Guide to Sucralose: What's so Sweet About This Sweetener?

Ever since saccharin was discovered in 1879, man has looked for ways to reduce his caloric intake of sugar without having to give up his sweet tooth. Sucralose, the newest of the non-nutritive artificial super-sweeteners, has surged in popularity among diabetics and those who simply wish to lose weight. Sucralose was first discovered in 1976, seven years after the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) banned cyclamate, another artificial sweetener, from use in the United States. In 1980, the Johnson and Johnson Family of Companies started McNeil Specialty Products Company, the company which manufactures the sucralose product Splenda. The British company Tate and Lyle, PLC, combined efforts with McNeil to develop sucralose. Tate and Lyle manufactures the sucralose that is sold to companies for use in various products. The FDA approved sucralose on 1 April 1998 for use as an addition to products in fifteen food and beverage groups. A little over one year later, the FDA approved sucralose as a general purpose sweetener.

Currently, it is the only artificial sweetener that has its origins in a natural sugar, sucrose. In the sucralose manufacturing process, five steps are used to extract three hydroxyl (hydrogen-oxygen) groups from the sucrose molecule and replace them with chlorine ions. An accurate name for the chemical structure produced by this process is trichlorogalactosucrose. The chlorine ions create the super-sweetness in the product and allow sucralose to be non-caloric in its pure state.

The addition of the chlorine ions is one of the reasons sucralose usage is highly controversial. Some believe that the chloride somehow may be absorbed into the body despite claims to the opposite set forth by the producers of sucralose and Splenda. They point out that chloride found in tomatoes, lettuce, peanut butter, and, of course, common table salt (sodium chloride) is consumed with no ill effects noted. Despite this controversy, sucralose has been approved for use as a sugar substitute in over 80 nations of the world, according to the Tate and Lyle website.

M. R. Weihrauch and V. Diehl in their paper presented in the Annals of Oncology explain sucralose is one of what is considered the second generation of manufactured artificial sweeteners. They state, "The approvals of new generation sweeteners (acesulfame-K, sucralose, alitame and neotame) are too recent to establish any epidemiological evidence about possible carcinogenic risks." But the FDA Talk Paper which introduced sucralose as an approved artificial sweetener stated, "In determining the safety of sucralose, FDA reviewed data from more than 110 studies in humans and animals. Many of the studies were designed to identify possible toxic effects including carcinogenic, reproductive and neurological effects. No such effects were found, and FDA's approval is based on its finding that sucralose is safe for human consumption." These studies were done over a twenty year period.

The sucralose sold to food manufacturers is in its pure state. Companies use it in pasteurized products as well as any other food where the process requires the food or the container it is in to undergo high temperatures. You can find sucralose often listed as one of the ingredients on products proclaiming 'No Sugar Added,' 'Sugar Free,' or 'Reduced Sugar.' If you look at the rest of the ingredients you may often find other non-nutritive sweeteners also listed.

Splenda purchased in packet or bulk form in the grocery store often includes dextrose and maltodextrin as bulking agents for the sucralose. Without these bulking agents, baked products using Splenda would not have the right texture and would otherwise cook in a different manner. It is from the inclusion of these two carbohydrates that Splenda gets its 2 calories per packet. One packet is the equivalent sweetness of two teaspoons of sugar at 32 calories. Splenda packets with fiber, a relatively new market offering, contain one gram of soluble corn fiber along with the sucralose.

Sucralose is billed as being 600 times sweeter than sucrose. It has no unpleasant aftertaste as many artificial sweeteners have and tastes very similar to sugar. Except for additives, sucralose has no calories, no fat, no protein, and no carbohydrates. Whereas regular sugars and carbohydrates break down and are absorbed by the body and produce energy, sucralose does not. It is not stockpiled in the body over time.

Sucralose is known for its product stability. It can be chilled or heated and not lose its sweetness. A liquid can have sucralose dissolved in it and the sucralose will not degrade over time. It is highly soluble in water and will not foam up in either hot or cold liquids. Foods with high acidic content or preservatives, seasonings, or flavorings will not interact adversely with sucralose. Sucralose in its powdered form can be stored in different types of conditions and retain its quality.

The Calorie Control Council contends that sucralose has been studied enough to assure the consumer that use of it will not cause birth defects, cancer, or changes to the genetic structure. They also state that sucralose will not affect reproductivity in males or females or suppress the auto-immune system. Unlike natural sugars, sucralose seems not to promote the growth of the type of bacteria in the mouth that causes dental caries.

As well as declaring sucralose safe for all children, the FDA has approved the use of sucralose for breastfeeding and pregnant women. The International Food Information Council recommends these women still inform their physician they are consuming products with sucralose or Splenda. Betty Kovacs on medicinenet.com suggests an Acceptable Daily Allowance of five milligrams of sucralose per one kilogram of body weight. To convert this, you would divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to calculate your weight in kilograms, then multiply by 50 to find out how many daily milligrams of sucralose you could consume.

One of the target groups for the marketing of sucralose and Splenda are Type 1 and Type 2 diabetic patients. Sucralose, it is said, does not react in the body like normal carbohydrates and sugars. It is not metabolized, it does not affect the production of insulin, and it does not seem to cause blood glucose levels to spike in the short or long term. They should still ask their physician before including sucralose as an important part of their dietary plans.

At this point, any symptoms related to the ingestion of sucralose seem to be anecdotal. Some of these may include problems with the gastrointestinal system, skin irritations, respiratory conditions similar to an allergic reaction, chest pains, and mood issues.

While looking for products on the grocery shelves containing sucralose, I encountered a woman who was purchasing a box of Splenda packets. In the course of our conversation, she mentioned that after using Splenda her blood sugar level would often raise, a side effect I figured had to do with the maltodextrin and dextrose bulking agents combined with the sucralose.

In May 1998, Diet RC Cola was the first American product to include sucralose. Now, sucralose and Splenda are found in 3500 to 4500 products around the world. I wrote a short list of some of the products I found which contained sucralose

They included:

V-8 Fusion Light Pomegranate Blueberry drinks
Russell Stover Sugar Free candies (Crispy Caramel, Peanut Butter Cups, Toffee Squares)
Baskin Robbins Hard Candies
Crystal Light Hard Candies
Ocean Spray Cranenergy Energy Juice Drinks
Ocean Spray Cran Apple Light, Light Ruby Red, and Light Cranberry Drinks
Hershey's Syrup Sugar Free (also contained acesulfame-potassium)
Nesquick No Sugar Added Chocolate Powder (included acesulfame-potassium)
Smucker's sugar free jams and jellies
Peter Pan No Sugar Added Peanut Butter
Del Monte No Sugar Added canned fruits
Pillsbury Reduced Sugar Creamy Supreme Frostings
Pillsbury Reduced Sugar Moist Supreme Cake Mixes
Log Cabin Sugar Free Syrup (includes the artificial sweeteners sorbitol, aspartame, and acesulfame-potassium)
Great Value (WalMart brand) No Sugar Added Fruit Cocktail and Apple sauce
Great Value Sugar Free Pancake and Waffle Syrup

Sucralose is not only in these particular products found in just a few grocery store aisles but may be included in breakfast cereals, cookies, pie fillings, ice cream toppings, chewing gum, salad dressing, coffee, tea, toothpaste, protein drink mixes, vitamin supplements, and pharmaceuticals.

Sucralose and Splenda are household words wherever people need to or want to reduce the amount of sugar and calories they are consuming.

Resources:
Weihrauch, M. R., and V. Diehl. "Artificial Sweeteners___Do They Bear a Carcinogenic Risk?" Annals of Oncology 6 January 2004 15(10):1460-1465. http://annonc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/15/10/1460
Food and Drug Administration. FDA Talk Paper T98-16. "FDA Approves New High-Intensity Sweetener Sucralose." 1 April 1998. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ANS00859.html