Recent studies by researchers have suggested that artificial sweeteners, which are man-made flavours that mimic the taste of sugar, could possibly be harmful to human health, while sugar manufacturing industries have maintained that they are less likely to cause negative human health impacts.

In May, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that artificial non-calorie sweeteners could potentially increase risks to human health, such as cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes.

The Organization therefore suggested that ingesting non-calorie sweeteners is an unwise solution for maintaining blood sugar levels or starting a healthier diet.

Two months later, an institution from WHO called the “International Agency for Research on Cancer” also added that a long-term ingestion of artificial sweeteners, especially one called aspartame, could be ‘carcinogenic’ to human health, increasing the likelihood of cancer development.

It is not the first time that artificial sweeteners have been treated as harmful ingredients.

A study in 2015 from Israel showed that mice fed with artificial sugar such as sucralose and aspartame had abnormally high blood sugar levels, whilst mice fed with regular sugar responded with a relatively lower rate.

On the other hand, industries that produce sugar ingredients insist that sweeteners barely cause harm to human health, unlike the assertions from WHO and other additional research studies.

Tate & Lyle, a sugar production company, is one such member of the sugar industry that is at the forefront of making this strong claim.

Kavita Karnik, the head of nutrition in Tate & Lyle, revealed that sweeteners go through strict manufacturing processes, and they are in fact one of the most scrutinised ingredients in the world.

Non-calorie sweeteners are a good source of sugar that provides blood insulin responses and blood glucose, according to Karnik.

The head of nutrition also emphasised that sweeteners from her company, Tate & Lyle, are used in tiny doses, thus unlikely to cause human health risks.

Other food processing companies such as Daniels Midland or Ingredion are among the strong voices that support the benefits of artificial sweetener productions.

Furthermore, the sugar and food industry are also developing an alternative method of production that can co-exist with artificial sweeteners, the manufacturing of natural sweeteners.

Natural sweeteners are sweet substances that are extracted from products of nature such as fruits and plants. Stevie and glucose are some of the main types of natural sweeteners.

Sugar manufacturing industries are focusing on this so-called “clean-label” project, as the majority of consumers today perceive natural sweeteners as safer and healthier than artificial sweeteners.

The industry believes that clean label packages could trigger consumers to buy more ingredients from their brands.

However, some obstacles make the manufacturing and sale of these natural products difficult.

Ingredion, another major food processing company along with Tate & Lyle, revealed that the production process for natural sweeteners was relatively more challenging compared to those for making artificial productions.

Therefore, natural sweeteners are almost twice the price of artificial sweeteners, the company says.

Another problem of natural sweeteners is that a majority of them still contain high caloric density and strongly affect increases in blood sugar levels.

Despite these disadvantages, the sugar industry showed their intentions to continue their investments into natural sweeteners, as more and more consumers tend to prefer clean-label ingredients over artificial products.

Experts claim that the debate over the use of artificial sweeteners remains in question, and further research in the future is required for a straightforward conclusion.

Shi hyoung Lee 

Grade 10

Berlin Brandenburg International School