FDA approves new high-intensity sweetener

This week, the Food and Drug Administration approved advantame as the sixth high-intensity sweetener to be used in the United States.

In the release from the FDA, it was reported that this sweetener is approved as a general-purpose sweetener and flavor enhancer to be used in baked goods, non-alcoholic beverages, chewing gum, confections and frostings, frozen desserts, gelatins and puddings, jams and jellies, processed fruits and fruit juices, toppings and syrups. It was not approved for use in meats or poultry, according to the release.

“In evaluating the safety of advantame under the petitioned conditions of use, the FDA reviewed data from 37 animal and human studies. The safety studies were designed to identify possible toxic effects, such as reproductive, neurological, and cancer-causing effects. The FDA concluded after a thorough evaluation that advantame is safe for human consumption under the petitioned conditions of use,” the FDA wrote in the release.

The release also explained that this crystalline powder can be used as a tabletop sweetener and in cooking and, like other approved high-intensity sweeteners, should not raise blood sugar levels.