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Answer: Yes — Saccharin is banned in 1 country/region including Canada (banned for food use; permitted in medications only). The FDA still allows it in US food. Commonly found in: Sweet'N Low (tabletop pink packets), Some diet beverages (historically), Certain medications.
TL;DR: Saccharin is restricted in the EU but allowed in the US (food additives).
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Also called Sweet'N Low. (E954)
Other names: E954, Sweet'N Low, Sodium saccharin, Benzosulfimide
| EU status | Restricted |
|---|---|
| US status | Allowed |
| Risk level | — |
| Where it shows up | Sweet'N Low (tabletop pink packets), Some diet beverages (historically), Certain medications, Some mouthwashes, Some cosmetics and personal care products, Some artificially sweetened foods |
Saccharin is the oldest artificial sweetener, discovered accidentally at Johns Hopkins in 1879. It is a sulfonamide compound approximately 300-400 times sweeter than sucrose with no caloric value. It has a slightly bitter metallic aftertaste at higher concentrations. Saccharin's sodium salt (sodium saccharin) is the form used in most food applications.
Saccharin provides calorie-free sweetening in beverages, tabletop sweeteners (Sweet'N Low), cosmetics, and medications. It is extremely stable under heat and at high temperatures, making it durable in a wide range of applications. It is one of the cheapest artificial sweeteners.
Saccharin's carcinogenicity history is one of the most tumultuous in food regulatory history. In 1977, the FDA proposed banning saccharin after studies found it caused bladder cancer in rats at very high doses. Congress passed the Saccharin Study and Labeling Act, which put a moratorium on the ban and required a cancer warning label on saccharin products ('Use of this product may be hazardous to your health. This product contains saccharin which has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals.'). By 2000, saccharin was removed from the US National Toxicology Program's Report on Carcinogens after subsequent research determined that the bladder cancer in male rats was caused by a rat-specific mechanism — high pH, high protein, and calcium phosphate in rat urine — that does not apply to human urine. The cancer warning label requirement was repealed. IARC also removed saccharin from its Group 2B list in 1999. However, Canada maintained its ban on food use saccharin, citing continued precautionary concern. A 2022 study in Cell found saccharin was among the artificial sweeteners most significantly altering gut microbiome composition and glucose tolerance in previously non-sweetener-using participants. Saccharin showed the largest effect on glucose tolerance among the sweeteners studied (saccharin, sucralose, aspartame, stevia). Saccharin passes through the placenta and appears in breast milk, raising questions about infant exposure that have not been fully resolved.
For educational use only. This page summarizes the regulatory status of Saccharinwith citations to the primary sources below. It is not medical advice. Regulatory status is not the same as a proven health effect — read the cited sources for their exact wording, and consult a doctor for decisions about your or your family's health.
Stevia, monk fruit extract, and erythritol are widely available alternatives to saccharin without the carcinogenicity history or gut microbiome concerns documented in the 2022 Cell study.
Yes. Canada bans saccharin for food use, permitting it only in certain pharmaceutical applications. This makes Canada one of the few major countries with a food ban on saccharin, which is still broadly permitted in the US and EU (with ADI restrictions).
In male rats, saccharin caused bladder cancer at very high doses through a rat-specific mechanism (calcium phosphate-induced cell proliferation in rat bladder epithelium) that does not occur in human bladders. Based on this finding, IARC removed saccharin from Group 2B in 1999 and the US removed it from the Report on Carcinogens in 2000. The rat carcinogenicity is mechanistically irrelevant to humans.
Yes. Sweet'N Low (the pink packet tabletop sweetener) contains sodium saccharin as its primary sweetener.
A 2022 Cell study found saccharin showed the largest effect on glucose tolerance among four sweeteners tested, with saccharin consumption in non-habitual users associated with significant glucose tolerance changes. This is thought to be mediated by gut microbiome changes.
Saccharin is a synthetic compound made from toluene (originally) or from anthranilic acid and other chemical precursors. It is a sulfonamide compound with no natural source.
The FDA and EFSA currently consider saccharin safe at ADI levels for the general population. The bladder cancer concern is considered mechanistically irrelevant to humans. However, the 2022 Cell study found significant gut microbiome and glucose tolerance effects. Canada maintains a food ban. Long-term human data are limited.
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Check labels for 'saccharin,' 'sodium saccharin,' 'E954,' or look for the Sweet'N Low branding. Choose stevia or monk fruit-based tabletop sweeteners instead (Truvia, Monk Fruit in the Raw).
Saccharin's use in beverages has declined significantly since the introduction of aspartame and sucralose. It is still used in some diet drinks, particularly outside the US, and in Sweet'N Low for tabletop use. It is more commonly found now in medications, cosmetics, and personal care products.
Audited products that don't contain Saccharin.
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