Artificial sweeteners in various food products - quantification and intake assessment

Abstract

The aim of the study is to determine the content of artificial sweeteners in 133 different food products. The analytical quantification was performed by the application of a reversed-phase, validated, gradient HPLC method, with simultaneous determination of aspartame, acesulfame K and Na-saccharin content. Supelcosil 150 x 4.6 mm, 5µm was used as the stationary phase and mobile phase (buffer 0.1 M NaH2PO4, pH = 2.5 and acetonitrile), at temperature = 26 °C and flow = 1.5 mL/min. The method was applied on: non-alcoholic beverages, chewing gums, sweets, chocolates, confectionery, dietary products, food supplements, fruit yogurt, etc. Depending on the structure of the food, different extraction methods were applied. The assessment of food safety showed irregularity in 21 % of the products, of which 50 % were imported. Some of the products` declarations were not completely translated nor properly labelled. Of the irregular domestic products, 21 % exceeded the maximum permitted quantities of added sweeteners and the rest had irregular labelling. The analysis showed that the most commonly used sweetener was Na-saccharin, which along with aspartame and acesulfame K are most frequently utilized in non-alcoholic beverages. Intake of artificial sweeteners was estimated according to the mean body weight for children, adolescents and adults, under the supposition that the products contained the maximum permitted quantities. The theoretical maximum daily intake of different food products in different population groups indicates the existence of a potential health risk only with continuous "large" intake of products that contain the maximum allowable amounts of artificial sweeteners, especially for the youngest populations.