Brazilian Intake Modeling Study Finds Most Sweetener Consumption Levels Remain Below ADIs
Study Aims to Close a Key Data Gap
A manuscript entitled, “Low- and No-Calorie Sweetener Intakes in the Brazilian Population Estimated Using Added Sugar Substitution Modelling” has been published in the Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A journal. Given the lack of data available on replacing added sugars with low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) in foods and beverages for many regions globally, the aim of this assessment was two-fold:
- Estimating daily intakes of six LNCS (acesulfame-K, aspartame, cyclamate, saccharin, steviol glycosides, and sucralose) within the Brazilian population.
- Examining alternative models for assessing intakes of these sweeteners, which do not involve use-level information (i.e., utilizing an added sugar substitution approach).
Researchers Modeled Intake Using Sugar Substitution Data
Each intake estimate was derived from documented added-sugar intakes in the Brazilian population , reported levels of added sugar in foods, and sucrose sweetness equivalence data for each LNCS, along with usage patterns in the Brazilian market. The resulting intake estimate was then compared to the sweetener’s Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI), a conservative calculation of the amount of a substance a person can consume on a daily basis for their lifetime without adverse effects established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) for all population groups.
Findings Show Most Intake Levels Remain Below Safety Thresholds
In both replacement models, researchers found that the intakes of all LNCS included in the study, except for cyclamate, were below the ADI by average (mean) and heavy LNCS consumers (90th and 95th percentiles) for all population groups over 10 years of age. However, it was noted that the assessment does not reflect realistic replacement patterns based on LNCS usage, which vary by product type, and is not the most suitable for LNCS with a high sucrose sweetness equivalence, such as cyclamate.
Research Expands the Evidence Base for Latin America
This work contributes to the body of evidence for intake estimates for Latin America, and Brazil specifically, which were previously quite limited. Additional research is needed for younger age groups to confirm whether these findings are applicable to the entire Brazilian population.
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