FDA Approves New No-Calorie Sweetener for Varied Dry Uses

The government approved a new no-calorie sweetener for chewing gum, powdered drink mixes and table-top use today, but a consumer group warned animal tests suggest the product, called Sunette, may cause cancer.

The sweetener, known generically as acesulfame potassium, was discovered in 1967 by scientists with the Hoechst Celanese Corp. of Somerville, N.J. It is already sold in 20 countries for the dry uses approved by the Food and Drug Administration. In some countries, it also is used in soft drinks and baked goods.

The white powder, about 200 times sweeter than sugar, differs chemically from aspartame, marketed under the name Nutrasweet, and saccharin, the two artificial sweeteners now on the market.

Leon Starr, president of the research division and chief technical officer for Hoechst, said the sweetener has no calories and is safe because it passes directly through the body without being broken down.

But the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group, expressed reservations. “Using established cancer principles, the case that acesulfame potassium causes cancer is strong,” said Lisa Leffert, staff scientist for the group.

But a statement from the FDA said, “Detailed analysis of all the data . . . showed that any tumors found (in animal tests) were typical of what could routinely be expected and were not due to feeding with acesulfame potassium.”