On the heels of a landmark decision in Canada to allow saccharin sweeteners to be used in a wide range of food products, Health Canada recently approved the zero-calorie sweetener to be available in the familiar pink packets or in bulk in grocery stores, restaurants and other outlets.  By lifting restrictions on saccharin, Canada joins more than 100 countries and global health organizations – including the United States and the World Health Organization – who have long allowed the sweetener as a safe and healthy alternative to sugar.

Variety Important to Consumerssaccharin industry

The addition of saccharin to product shelves is a bolster for retailers, as product variety holds great importance to consumers. Food Marketing Institute’s 2012 survey (PDF) found that beyond convenience, variety of selection was important. (See graphic at right.)  Coupled with 54% of consumers’ preferring one-stop shopping, stores that stock variety are likely to gain greater store loyalty.

Historically, in the United States, brands of saccharin in pink packets have typically been among the top sellers within the alternative sweeteners market, next to sucralose (yellow), aspartame (blue) and newcomer stevia (green) packets.

Move Follows 2014 Approval of Saccharin as an Ingredient for Manufacturers

The move comes roughly two years after Canadian health officials approved the use of saccharin, calcium saccharin, potassium saccharin and sodium saccharin to be used as an ingredient in various foods and beverages. Unlike the previous government action, the most recent one is far more sweeping and would allow for saccharin to be sold directly to consumers in grocery stores, mass merchandisers, restaurants and other outlets.

Saccharin’s History of Safety

Saccharin is one of the most studied ingredients in the food supply, and extensive research has long supported the conclusion that saccharin is safe for consumption. Health-conscious consumers around the world embrace the sweetener as a healthy alternative to sugar.

For additional information about saccharin, please visit http://saccharin.ca/.

Canadian consumers with restricted diets, as well as health-conscious consumers at large, just got more options to satisfy their sweet tooth. On the heels of a landmark decision in Canada to allow saccharin sweeteners to be used as an ingredient in a wide range of food products, Health Canada recently approved the zero-calorie sweetener in the familiar pink packets to be available in grocery stores, restaurants and other outlets. By lifting restrictions on saccharin, Canada joins the United States and more than 100 other countries, and authorities such as the World Health Organization, who have long allowed the sweetener as a safe and healthy alternative to sugar.

saccharin healthDecades of Research Backs Safety of Saccharin

The sweeping changes to saccharin regulations in Canada are backed by decades of research. In fact, saccharin is one of the most studied ingredients in the food supply, and extensive research has long supported the conclusion that saccharin is safe for consumption.  Health-conscious consumers around the world embrace the sweetener as a healthy alternative to sugar. Canadian, American, British, German, Swiss and Scandinavian researchers have exhaustively reviewed research on saccharin and have voiced strong support for saccharin as a safe no-calorie sweetener.

What Nutrition, Diabetes, and Heart Associations Have to Say

Three U.S.-based organizations have posted positions on non-nutritive sweeteners. As a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) noted: “The safety of artificial sweeteners has been studied for years.” Further, in a joint position, the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association said that: “Non-nutritive sweeteners, when used judiciously, can help reduce the intake of added sugars in food and drinks and, therefore, assist in weight control. A high intake of added sugars can contribute to cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, obesity and other health problems.”

Move Followed Approval of Saccharin as Ingredient in Foods and Beverages

The move to lift restrictions on saccharin comes roughly two years after Canadian health officials approved the use of saccharin, calcium saccharin, potassium saccharin and sodium saccharin to be used as an ingredient in various foods and beverages. Unlike the previous government action, the most recent one is far more sweeping and would allow for saccharin to be sold directly to consumers in grocery stores or distributed on restaurant tabletops.

For additional information about the benefits and safety of saccharin, please visit http://saccharin.ca/.

It’s been a staple at virtually every restaurant and grocery store in the United States, and it’s now available throughout Canada – from grocery stores to restaurant tabletops. Saccharin, the main ingredient in the calorie-free sweetener in the familiar pink packet, recently was cleared by Health Canada as an approved tabletop sweetener.

The lifted restrictions on saccharin now grant consumers unlimited access to the calorie-free sweetener – clearing the way for another option to help control calories and assist in weight and diabetes management. Here are a few reasons this is a significant step for Canada and great news for Canadian consumers.

1. Canadians Have Another a Safe Alternative to Sugar 

The move by Health Canada reaffirms what more than a hundred countries – as well as the World Health Organization – have known for some time: saccharin is safe.

2. Calorie-Counting with Saccharin’s Zero Calories Makes It Easy

Anyone who has dieted knows how easy it is to wreck your calorie count for the day with just a few tablespoons of sugar. Saccharin makes it simple. How many calories in a packet of saccharin? Zero.

Recipe3. Saccharin Opens a World of New Recipes to Canadian Consumers

The availability of saccharin means you can expand your personal list of favorite recipes without dipping into the sugar jar. Saccharin might be new to Canada, but it’s been in international cookbooks for years. Check out this recipe for sugar-free bread pudding as a start, and have fun exploring.

4. Those with Diabetes and Dietary Restrictions Have Another Option To Live the Sweet Life

Saccharin is perfectly safe for those with diabetes. That’s a big deal. One of the most significant benefits of saccharin is that people with dietary restrictions can still indulge in their sweet tooth without compromising their health.

For additional information about the benefits and safety of saccharin, please visit http://saccharin.ca/, and for delicious recipes, try browsing http://www.theskinnyonlowcal.org/.

ATLANTA – The familiar pink packet that has long been a staple at virtually every restaurant and grocery store in the United States is now available throughout Canada. Basing its decision on scientific studies that reveal no safety concerns related to saccharin, Health Canada recently announced that saccharinsaccharin has been listed as an approved food additive in table-top sweeteners. The lifted restrictions on saccharin now grant consumers unlimited access to the calorie-free sweetener – clearing the way for healthier eating habits and giving Canadians with dietary restrictions (such as people with diabetes) more options. The approval of saccharin for use in tabletop applications supports the safety of the sweetener, which has been reaffirmed by more than 100 countries around the world as well as the World Health Organization.

What this means for Consumers Health Industry

The move comes roughly two years after Canadian health officials approved the use of saccharin, calcium saccharin, potassium saccharin and sodium saccharin to be used as an ingredient in various foods and beverages. Unlike the previous government action, the most recent one is far more sweeping and would allow for saccharin to be sold directly to consumers in grocery stores or distributed on restaurant tabletops.

“This development comes as welcome news for consumers hoping to reduce their sugar intake,” said Robert Rankin, President of the Calorie Control Council. “Health Canada’s proposal aligns with regulation around the world and further supports the notion that low-calorie sweeteners are safe and can be used as part of a healthier lifestyle.”

For additional information about the benefits and safety of saccharin, please visit http://saccharin.ca/.

ATLANTA –Canadian consumers can now enjoy the benefits of sugar-free chewing gum, desserts, and other consumer products sweetened with the zero calorie sweetener saccharin. On April 24, 2014, Health Canada, the regulatory body in charge of approving food ingredients and improving the lives of Canadians, approved the use of saccharin and its salts in several food categories. Canadians looking to reduce calories or those with diabetes monitoring blood sugar will soon be able to find saccharin on the label of some foods in Canada. Continue reading

ATLANTA – Les consommateurs canadiens peuvent maintenant profiter des avantages de la gomme à mâcher sans sucre, des desserts sans sucre et d’autres produits contenant de la saccharine, un édulcorant sans calorie. Le 24 avril 2014, Santé Canada, l’organisme de réglementation qui veille à l’approbation des ingrédients des aliments et à l’amélioration du bien-être des Canadiens, a approuvé l’utilisation de la saccharine et de ses sels dans plusieurs catégories d’aliments. Les Canadiens soucieux de réduire leur apport calorique et les personnes diabétiques qui surveillent leur glycémie pourront bientôt voir la saccharine sur l’étiquette de certains aliments au Canada.

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ATLANTA – Using low-calorie sweeteners in beverages and other foods has the potential to help people reach and maintain a healthy body weight and is helpful for glucose control for people with diabetes, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association. The statement is published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation and the American Diabetes Association journal Diabetes Care, and confirms previous support statements from these two major health organizations. Continue reading

ATLANTA, GA – Saccharin, “the world’s oldest low-calorie sweetener,” is celebrating 125 years of sweetness. It was discovered in 1879 by researchers at Johns Hopkins University and quickly became a boon to food manufacturers and consumers, especially those with diabetes, who used the sugar substitute to sweeten their foods and beverages with fewer calories. Today, saccharin is used in such products as tabletop sweeteners, baked goods, soft drinks, jams, chewing gum, canned fruit, candy, dessert toppings and salad dressing. Sweet’N Low® is the most recognized brand name of saccharin-based sugar substitutes—with more than 12 billion packets enjoyed worldwide each year. Continue reading

ATLANTA  – On December 21, President Clinton signed legislation that removes 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. Continue reading