Norman E. Borlaug was part of the American Council on Science and Health Board of Directors from 1978 to 2009 (see ACSH staff list in this publication).

The sweetener acesulfame-K was approved for use in dry foods in the U.S. in 1988. There is a comprehensive body of scientific evidence in support of its safety. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering a petition for approval of the low-calorie sweetener alitame. This sweetener has undergone a thorough scientific evaluation but is not yet in commercial use anywhere in the world. New scientific studies an a decade of extensive use have confirmed that aspartame is a safe food additive. Although aspartame is now approved for a wide variety of uses, levels of consumption remain well within safe limits. Concerns that children, diabetics and dieters might consume excessive amounts of this sweetener have not been confirmed. Although allegations about aspartame have been raised in the news media, there is still no evidence for the existence of serious adverse health consequences resulting from its use. As with any food component, aspartame might cause a reaction in some individuals. However, such reactions appear to be uncommon. Concerns over the possibility that cyclamate might cause caner or genetic damage have proven to be unfounded. The major issue remaining in the reevaluation of this sweetener is the determination of an appropriate allowable consumption level. International authoritiew have been able to set an Acceptable Daily Intake for cyclamate on the basis of currently available data. The U.S. FDA may soon make a similar determination. The FDA recently withdrew its proposal to ban saccharin. This change in policy is well founded. The totality of evidence gathered from the numerous animal and human studies of saccharin does not suggest that there is any risk to the human population from the normal use of this sweetener. Sucralose was recently approved in Canada and is under consideration in the U.S. It has undergone extensive safety testing, and independent experts have concluded that the sweetener is safe for its intended use.

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