EFSA experts confirmed the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 15 mg/kg of body weight per day for sucralose (E 955) and concluded that this sweetener remains safe for consumers for its currently authorized uses as a food additive.
However, they were unable to confirm the safety of other uses for which an assessment had been requested. These uses, in fact, “may involve – said Laurence Castle, chair of EFSA’s Panel on Food Additives and Flavorings – various industrial processes requiring prolonged exposure to high temperatures” and a recent study found that when sucralose is exposed to high temperatures for long periods, chlorine can migrate from it, potentially forming chlorinated compounds whose health effects are unknown.
The experts also noted that in home kitchens, factors such as temperature, cooking times, and the amount of sweetener used can vary widely, meaning that the formation of chlorinated compounds cannot be ruled out during the preparation of homemade products that require high temperatures, such as frying and baking with sucralose.
The European Commission and the Member States will now discuss the follow-up to the EFSA assessment.
