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

Abstract

In 1999, 116 samples of non-alcoholic beverages were analysed for the intense sweeteners cyclamate, acesulfame-K, aspartame and saccharin. High contents of cyclamate close to the maximum permitted level in 1999 of 400 mg l−1 were found in many 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, 4.0 and 0.2 mg kg−1 body weight (bw) day−1 for acesulfame-K, aspartame and saccharin, respectively, was much lower than the acceptable daily intake (ADI) values of 15, 40 and 2.5 mg kg−1 bw day−1 for acesulfame-K, aspartame and saccharin, respectively. However, the 90th percentile of the estimated cyclamate intake in 1–3 year olds was close to the ADI value of 7 mg kg−1 bw day−1; and the 99th percentile in the 1–10 year olds far exceeded the ADI value. Boys aged 7–10 years had a significantly higher estimated intake of cyclamate than girls. The 90th percentile for the whole population was 1.8 mg kg−1 bw day−1. After the reduction in the maximum permitted level in the European Union in 2004 from 400 to 250 mg cyclamate l−1, the exposure in Denmark can also be expected to be reduced. A new investigation in 2007 should demonstrate whether the problem with high cyclamate intake is now solved.