Coming soon to a cup of coffee near you, NutraSweet (as if it wasn’t enough having it in the ’80s)


According to a NutraSweet news release “The NutraSweet Company announced today that it has entered into an alliance with American Sugar Refining, Inc., owner of the Domino® brand of sugar products, to produce and distribute a line of new tabletop sweeteners in the US.”

The first love child of this partnership? The re-launch of the NutraSweet tabletop brand.

Here we go again!

NutraSweet (think Aspartame, the unrelenting resident on the ingredient list of all sorts of diet drinks, such as Diet Coke), which was first introduced in the ’80s is back. And the question now is the same as it was then: Is NutraSweet safe or isn’t it?

Is NutraSweet safe?
No one can prove that it is definitively, without any doubt what-so-ever, totally and completely not safe.

Of course, on the other hand, no one can prove that it is definitively, without any doubt what-so-ever, totally and completely safe.

Which leaves us with a cloud of doubt. doesn’t it? A helluva cloud, indeed.

Well, what do the experts say?
The FDA obviously granted approval for NutraSweet to be sold. So their vote is “yes,” it is safe. But there are researchers who quite clearly vote “no,” it is NOT safe. Such as the Italian cancer researcher whose seven year study concluded that it may cause cancer. In fact, according to a New York Times article “The research found that the sweetener was associated with unusually high rates of lymphomas, leukemias and other cancers in rats that had been given doses of it starting at what would be equivalent to four to five 20-ounce bottles of diet soda a day for a 150-pound person.”

Of course, there are those who pooh pooh these studies. Such as the Calorie Control Council which is, big surprise, a trade group for organizations that make artificial sweeteners.

But if there are such questions of safety, why is NutraSweet being reintroduced?
Craig Petray, NutraSweet CEO, says “… there is tremendous opportunity to leverage the NutraSweet brand in consumer markets throughout the world.” In fact, he believes with the partnership, NutraSweet “…will be positioned to become a major player in the billion dollar retail sweetener business.”

In other words, there’s gold in them thar hills.

So should we eat aspartame?
Here is what Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the nutrition advocacy group the Center for Science in the Public Interest said in the New York Times article: “For a chemical that is used by hundreds of millions of people around the world, it should be absolutely safe. There shouldn’t be a cloud of doubt.”

Eating aspartame is, clearly, a gamble. Your gamble. With your health. And the health of your family.

Personally, I don’t want to throw the dice. The stakes are just too high.

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{ 4 Comments }

Comments

4 Responses to “Coming soon to a cup of coffee near you, NutraSweet (as if it wasn’t enough having it in the ’80s)”

  1. Scribbit

    Yes I agree it is a gamble though there are many proven things–such as over eating or eating fatty foods that are a much bigger risk to health. Seems there are a lot more people that have a problem eating too much rather than risking their lives with asparateme. But it’s interesting that it’s making it’s way around again.

    Hmmm. . . .

  2. Rich Murray

    more from The Independent, UK, Martin Hickman, re ASDA (unit of Wal-Mart Stores) and Marks & Spencer ban of aspartame, MSG, artificial chemical additives and dyes to prevent ADHD in kids: Murray 2007.05.16
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1427

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1426
    ASDA (unit of Wal-Mart Stores WMT.N) and Marks & Spencer
    will join Tesco and also Sainsbury to ban and limit aspartame,
    MSG, artificial flavors dyes preservatives additives, trans fats, salt “nasties” to protect kids from ADHD: leading UK media:
    Murray 2007.05.15

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1271
    combining aspartame and quinoline yellow, or MSG and brilliant blue, harms nerve cells,
    eminent C. Vyvyan Howard et al, 2005 education.guardian.co.uk, Felicity Lawrence: Murray 2005.12.21

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1277
    50% UK baby food is now organic — aspartame or MSG
    with food dyes harm nerve cells, CV Howard 3 year study
    funded by Lizzy Vann, CEO, Organix Brands,
    Children’s Food Advisory Service:
    Murray 2006.01.13

    http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article2548747.ece

    “Of course, everyone chooses,
    as a natural priority,
    to actively find, quickly share,
    and positively act upon the facts about healthy and safe food, drink, and environment.”

    Rich Murray, MA Room For All rmforall@comcast.net
    505-501-2298 1943 Otowi Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages
    group with 75 members, 1,434 posts in a public, searchable archive
    http://RMForAll.blogspot.com

  3. Almost Vegetarian

    Good point. But, I wonder, wouldn’t it be better for people to learn not to overeat than to reach for a potential carcinogen? Besides, does this stuff even work to help obesity? NutraSweet has been around since the ’80s. Isn’t that when the obesity problem started to explode?

    More questions than answers, I’m afraid.

  4. Rich Murray

    more from The Independent, UK, Martin Hickman, re ASDA (unit of Wal-Mart Stores) and Marks & Spencer ban of aspartame, MSG, artificial chemical additives and dyes to prevent ADHD in kids: Murray 2007.05.16
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1427

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1426
    ASDA (unit of Wal-Mart Stores WMT.N) and Marks & Spencer
    will join Tesco and also Sainsbury to ban and limit aspartame,
    MSG, artificial flavors dyes preservatives additives, trans fats, salt “nasties” to protect kids from ADHD: leading UK media:
    Murray 2007.05.15

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1271
    combining aspartame and quinoline yellow, or MSG and brilliant blue, harms nerve cells,
    eminent C. Vyvyan Howard et al, 2005 education.guardian.co.uk, Felicity Lawrence: Murray 2005.12.21

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1277
    50% UK baby food is now organic — aspartame or MSG
    with food dyes harm nerve cells, CV Howard 3 year study
    funded by Lizzy Vann, CEO, Organix Brands,
    Children's Food Advisory Service:
    Murray 2006.01.13

    http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article2548747.ece

    “Of course, everyone chooses,
    as a natural priority,
    to actively find, quickly share,
    and positively act upon the facts about healthy and safe food, drink, and environment.”

    Rich Murray, MA Room For All rmforall@comcast.net
    505-501-2298 1943 Otowi Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages
    group with 75 members, 1,434 posts in a public, searchable archive
    http://RMForAll.blogspot.com

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