Expert consensus on low-calorie sweeteners: facts, research gaps and suggested actions.

A consensus workshop on low-calorie sweeteners (LCS) was held in November 2018 where seventeen experts (the panel) discussed three themes identified as key to the science and policy of LCS: (1) weight management and glucose control; (2) consumption, safety and perception; (3) nutrition policy. The aims were to identify the reliable facts on LCS, suggest research gaps and propose future actions. The panel agreed that the safety of LCS is demonstrated by a substantial body of evidence reviewed by regulatory experts and current levels of consumption, even for high users, are within agreed safety margins. However, better risk communication is needed. More emphasis is required on the role of LCS in helping individuals reduce their sugar and energy intake, which is a public health priority. Based on reviews of clinical evidence to date, the panel concluded that LCS can be beneficial for weight management when they are used to replace sugar in products consumed in the diet (without energy substitution). The available evidence suggests no grounds for concerns about adverse effects of LCS on sweet preference, appetite or glucose control; indeed, LCS may improve diabetic control and dietary compliance. Regarding effects on the human gut microbiota, data are limited and do not provide adequate evidence that LCS affect gut health at doses relevant to human use. The panel identified research priorities, including collation of the totality of evidence on LCS and body weight control, monitoring and modelling of LCS intakes, impacts on sugar reduction and diet quality and developing effective communication strategies to foster informed choice. There is also a need to reconcile policy discrepancies between organisations and reduce regulatory hurdles that impede low-energy product development and reformulation.

Absorption, Distribution and Excretion of Four Forms of Titanium Dioxide Pigment in the Rat.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) is a white color additive that has a long history of global approval and use in food. There is, however, considerable confusion regarding the applicability of the biological effects of novel, engineered, nano-sized forms of TiO2 developed for nonpigmentary applications to the safety of oral exposure to food grade TiO2 pigment. The objective of this study was to assess the absorption, distribution, and routes of excretion in rats after oral exposure to food grade TiO2 . Four different grades of TiO2 (200 ppm) or control (0 ppm) diets were fed to rats for 7 consecutive days, followed by control diet only for 1, 24, or 72 h. Concentrations of titanium in liver, kidney and muscle were mainly below the limit of detection (<0.1 to < 0.2 mg/kg wet weight); tissue concentrations of titanium above the LOD were in the range of 0.1 to 0.3 mg/kg wet weight for all groups. Whole blood concentrations of titanium were <0.04 mg/L for all groups. Urinary excretion of titanium was equivalent to <2% daily dose/L of urine for all groups and was generally below the limit of quantification (<0.04 mg/L). Feces represented the predominant route of excretion. These results demonstrate that there is no accumulation of titanium in tissues following consumption of diets containing 200 ppm food grade TiO2 . No differences in systemic absorption of the 4 forms of TiO2 were observed indicating that the bioavailability of TiO2 is consistently low for the range of particle sizes and morphologies examined in this study.