Estimated intake of intense sweeteners from non-alcoholic beverages in Denmark, 2005

Abstract

In 2005, 76 out of 177 analysed samples of non-alcoholic beverages were found to contain the intense sweeteners cyclamate, acesulfame-K, aspartame, and saccharin. The content of cyclamate did not exceed the now permitted maximum level in the European Union of 250 mg l−1 in soft drinks. The estimated intake of the sweeteners was calculated using the Danish Dietary Survey based on 3098 persons aged 1–80 years. The estimated intake with 90th percentiles of 0.7, 0.8 and 0.2 mg kg−1 body weight day−1 for acesulfame-K, aspartame, and saccharin, respectively, was much lower than the acceptable daily intake values of 15, 40, 7, and 2.5 mg kg−1 body weight day−1 for acesulfame-K, aspartame, and saccharin, respectively, and on the same level as in the similar investigation from 1999. In contrast to the 1999 investigation, the 90th percentile of the estimated cyclamate intake in 1–3 year olds with 3.7 mg kg−1 body weight day−1 was in 2005 lower than the acceptable daily intake of 7 mg kg−1 body weight day−1. However, the 99th percentile for 1–3 year olds with 7.4 mg kg−1 body weight day−1 still exceeded the acceptable daily intake slightly. The 90th percentile for the whole population with 0.9 mg kg−1 body weight day−1 was halved compared with 1999. The reduction in the European Union of the maximum permitted level for cyclamate from 400 to 250 mg l−1 has brought the intake of cyclamate in small children down to well below the acceptable daily intake value.