L'histoire chaotique des édulcorants : hasards et controverses

However unsuitableness for commercial use is regularly brought at the front of the scene. For instance, such common sweeteners as saccharin, cyclamate and aspartame remain a recurrent subject of strong controversies even when official approvals are supported by strongly evidence-based toxicological experiments. Public health authorities are regularly questioned on the safety of sweeteners and either solicited or urged to ban their utilization according to the “precaution principle” even though there is, at present, no new scientific argument against their use. Rebaudioside A, which is a natural compound extracted from the leaves of the stevia, might become a widespread intensive sweetener in the foreseeable future since it has recently been approved for commercial use on the basis of both its natural origin and safety.