WASHINGTON — Concerns about health impacts from consuming artificial sweeteners seem to have existed ever since the products were first commercially introduced in the early 1900s. And while the low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) available to US food manufacturers today are considered safe to consume in quantities established by the US Food and Drug Administration, recent actions by other global health organizations continue to perpetuate the notion that LNCS are, at best, a suspect ingredient or, at worst, toxic to consumers.

The European Food Safety Authority, for instance, has committed to re-evaluating several LNCS products for hazard identification, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is the cancer research arm of the World Health Organization, in July 2023 categorized aspartame, a widely consumed sugar substitute that commonly is used in diet sodas, as a Group 2B carcinogen. This classification is considered possibly carcinogenic to humans. Other common consumer products and behaviors classified as a 2B Group carcinogen include aloe vera leaf extract, pickled vegetables, melamine and cell phone usage.

But what do American consumers think about LNCS? A recent survey conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC), a nonprofit education and consumer research organization, provided insights into the American consumers’ perception and usage of these popular ingredients for the calorie conscious.

“Results from our study suggest that the guidance updates that came out of Europe in 2023 had little, if any, net effect on American low- and no-calorie sweetener consumption habits,” said Kris Sollid, RD, senior director of research and consumer insights at IFIC.

Conducted earlier this year and polling about 1,000 Americans 18 to over 80 years old, the results, which were released in early November, indicated most survey participants between April 2023 and April 2024 made no changes to their consumption of LNCS. About 10% of responders said they increased their consumption of LNCS while 11% said they decreased their intake. Around 30% reported not consuming any LNCS for at least a year before taking the survey.

Nearly 30% of responders who increased their consumption said they were motivated by weight management goals. About 31% of those who decreased their consumption cited concerns over safety. A significant number of responses indicated consumers continue to prefer caloric sweeteners over LNCS.

“Since we began capturing these sentiments, honey is the caloric sweetener that consumers say they are most likely to consume, and stevia leads the way among low- and no-calorie sweetener options,” Sollid said. “Overall, we continue to see the trend of Americans preferring to consume food and beverages with caloric sweeteners more than those with low- and no-calorie sweeteners.”

Still, the overall results from the study did not imply that Americans who participated in the survey were remarkably concerned about health impacts from consuming LNCS, with more than half of respondents agreeing that the products may even provide some health benefits. But some also indicated consumer perception about the safety of certain LNCS was low.

“Americans are looking for clarity in health guidance to make more thoughtful, informed choices about what they eat and drink, including sweeteners,” Sollid affirmed, adding most consumers listed health care professionals and registered dietitians as the most credible nutrition sources. But the April survey responses also indicated that more than 40% of Americans do their own research about the safety of LNCS.