The United States Sugar Association which represents companies who sell, process, or refine sugar, has filed a supplement to its citizens petition originally filed with FDA on June 8, 2020. The original petition claimed that the addition of “added sugars” to the Nutrition Facts label on packaged goods had expanded the use of alternative, low-calorie (LCS), and high-intensity sweeteners (HIS) to avoid including “added sugars”. The petition requested that FDA take enforcement action and develop guidance to add the term “sweetener” parenthetically to indicate the type and quantity of non-nutritive sweeteners on the front packaging for children’s foods and beverages. The request also asked for the disclosure of potential gastrointestinal side effects from the consumption of sugar alcohols and sugar substitutes.

In the recently filed supplement, the Sugar Association requests that FDA promulgate specific rules to require labeling of alternative sweeteners in the ingredient list and front-of-pack disclosure. Additionally, the supplemental petition includes support for a Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) stating, among other things, that FDA should not permit LCS to be included under the umbrellas of “natural flavors” or “artificial flavors”. Both the original petition and the supplement include consumer research demonstrating that consumers want to know more about the presence of artificial sweeteners. While FDA has acknowledged the original petition, it has taken no action at this time.

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Posted on 27 April 2022