ATLANTA (Dec. 22, 2000) -On December 21, the President signed legislation
to remove the warning label that had been required on saccharin-sweetened
foods and beverages since 1977. After almost a quarter century, the
book finally has been closed on one of America's major food safety scares
of the seventies.
On December 15, Congress passed Rep. Joe Knollenberg's (R-MI) aptly
named "SWEETEST" Act (H.R. 5668), Saccharin Warning Elimination via
Environmental Testing Employing Science and Technology Act, as part
of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Appropriations Bill (H.R. 4577).
"Sound, new scientific research results of more than two decades of
study have decisively proven saccharin's safety," Rep. Knollenberg explained.
Earlier this year, the federal government's National Toxicology Program
(NTP) removed saccharin from its Ninth Report on Carcinogens. In doing
so, NTP joined numerous other world health agencies in recognizing the
safety of saccharin, the Congressman said.
"We welcome the news that saccharin-sweetened products will no longer
carry an outdated and misleading warning label," said Lyn Nabors, executive
vice president of the Calorie Control Council, an international trade
association representing the low-calorie food industry. "Removal of
the saccharin warning label should increase consumers' trust in the
truthfulness of food labels in general."
The Council noted that government, scientists and industry are now
all in agreement on saccharin's safety. According to the Council, removal
of the label is justified based on the scientific evidence documenting
saccharin's safety for humans, and is consistent with the recommendations
of three NTP committees, as well as the decisions of the director of
NTP and HHS Secretary Donna Shalala.
"Extensive new evidence compiled over the past 20 years, as well as
safe use for over a century, has demonstrated saccharin's safety. The
case against saccharin rested on controversial high-dose rat experiments
in which the animals were fed the human equivalent of hundreds of cans
of diet soft drinks per day for a lifetime," Ms. Nabors said.
Leading health groups have reviewed the scientific research on saccharin
and have supported its safety. Among these groups are the American Cancer
Society, American Medical Association, American Dietetic Association
and American Diabetes Association.
"This congressional action sends American consumers the welcome message
that government has caught up to the science on saccharin, and that
this important sweetener can be consumed with complete confidence in
its safety," said Ms. Nabors.
According to Rep. Knollenberg, the National Toxicology Program's action
"negated the need for the current warning label mandated by the Saccharin
Study and Labeling Act of 1977 on all products containing saccharin.
The Food and Drug Administration recognized that the mandated warning
label is inappropriate and agreed to support its repeal."
FDA initially proposed a ban on saccharin in 1977 on the basis of high-dose
rat studies. Editorials appeared across the U.S. claiming that "man
is not a big rat." Many scientists, health professionals and consumers
(especially people with diabetes) opposed the ban, calling for more
research and pleading with Congress to keep the only low-calorie sweetener
at the time available. Congress passed a moratorium on the ban and the
saccharin controversy initiated a long-overdue review of U.S. food safety
laws. In 1991, FDA formally withdrew its proposal to ban saccharin's
use. Today, following more than a century of safe use, saccharin remains
an important sweetener in a wide range of sugar-free and low-calorie
products and is approved in over 100 countries.
Additional information about saccharin can be found on the Internet
at www.saccharin.org,
and about low-calorie sweeteners at www.caloriecontrol.org.
Home
