Science-backed low/no calorie sweeteners offer a safe way to enjoy sweetness while cutting sugar. With rising rates of obesity and non-communicable diseases, they can support healthier diets
Low/no calorie sweeteners provide sweet taste with minimal or no calories. They are used in foods and beverages to help reduce their sugar content. Supported by decades of scientific research and safety evaluations, low/no calorie sweeteners can be a practical tool for managing weight, assisting with glycemic control, and supporting oral health as part of a balanced diet.
Low/no calorie sweeteners are among the most thoroughly researched ingredients, with their safety confirmed by global food safety authorities like the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of FAO/WHO. Extensive studies demonstrate that consumption of approved sweeteners is safe for all population groups.
Sweetness is an integral part of the human diet and our appetite for sweet taste is innate. When health organisations worldwide recommend that free sugars intake should be reduced, managing dietary sweetness, including with the support of low/no calorie sweeteners, is critical from a nutritional and a public health perspective.
Posted : 4 September 2025
Following the publication of the new study, “Not so sweet: Some sugar substitutes linked to faster cognitive decline,” in Neurology on 3 September 2025, the International Sweeteners Association (ISA) urges a careful interpretation of its findings. While the study has garnered media attention, it is essential to place its results within the broader, established scientific consensus on sweeteners safety.
Posted : 15 July 2025
Brussels, 15 July 2025: The International Sweeteners Association (ISA) urges caution when interpreting results of the recent study by Meng et al on aspartame. This is a small mice study with limited statistical power, whose results should be considered preliminary and cannot be directly translated to humans. Aspartame has been the subject of an overwhelming number […]
Posted : 4 July 2025
ISA welcomes the new EFSA scientific opinion on Neotame Brussels, 4th July 2025: The International Sweeteners Association (ISA) welcomes the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) opinion, published today, which unequivocally confirms that neotame is rigorously assessed and safe for use in foods and beverages.1 Neotame is one of the 11 low/no calorie sweeteners approved for use […]
Posted : 6 June 2025
6 June 2025 On World Food Safety Day, celebrated each year on 7th June, the International Sweeteners Association (ISA) joins WHO and FAO in praising the vital role of science in ensuring that the foods we eat are safe. Low/no calorie sweeteners (LNCS) are among the most thoroughly researched food ingredients in the world. Their […]
Posted : 30 April 2025
The European Food Safety Authority reconfirms acesulfame K’s safety after conducting a thorough, comprehensive and scientifically rigorous review. These conclusions are consistent with a history of safe use, confirmed by global and national food safety agencies, for more than thirty years. Brussels, 30th April 2025: The International Sweeteners Association (ISA) welcomes the European Food Safety […]
Posted : 28 April 2025
Updated on 26 May 2025 Since the beginning of 2025, several state level bills in the USA have been proposed targeting different food additives, including low/no calorie sweeteners (LNCS) and often based on misinformation on their approval status in certain countries or misinterpretation of scientific evidence. The International Sweeteners Association (ISA) would like to remind […]
Highlights: A new review study concludes that low/no calorie sweeteners use is one easily adopted dietary strategy that can help obtain a modest weight loss, improve adherence to the diet, induce sensory-specific-satiety for sweet foodstuff, and facilitate weight loss maintenance. Low/no calorie sweeteners can only modify one single aspect of energy intake: i.e. calories from […]
An interview with Stephen Fleming, PhD, Traverse Science An unhealthy diet high in free sugars is commonly recognised as a risk factor for dental caries which has led to increased interest on the role of low/no calorie sweeteners in oral health. Sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose and stevia do not affect our teeth in the […]
An interview with Professor Katherine Appleton and Dr Lucy Boxall, Bournemouth University, UK Dietary recommendations around the world consistently call for a reduction in high free sugars intake. However, effective strategies to achieve such a dietary change are yet to be defined. With this scope, a newly published randomised controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness […]
Looking back at new research on low/no calorie sweeteners and scientific milestones of 2024 Highlights: The beneficial role of low/no calorie sweetened beverages in weight control of children and adults has been clarified in new research A comprehensive review of the literature rejected the widespread assumption that exposure to sweet taste drives a “sweet […]
Science news from the 41st International Symposium on Diabetes and Nutrition, the 31st European Congress on Obesity, and the ISA-FINUT webinar Highlights: Data analysis of observational studies using advanced methodologies to reduce bias rejects the notion that sweeteners’ intake is associated with weight gain Prospective cohort studies with substitution analysis report a reduced obesity […]
The “sweet tooth” hypothesis examined and rejected in a new review study Highlights: Evidence from human studies does not provide support to the widespread assumption that sweetness exposure drives a “sweet tooth”, a review of multiple studies shows After consuming a sweet-tasting food or drink, the desire for sweetness and consumption of the same […]
Highlights: A new review study concludes that low/no calorie sweeteners use is one easily adopted dietary strategy that can help obtain a modest weight loss, improve adherence to the diet, induce sensory-specific-satiety for sweet foodstuff, and facilitate weight loss maintenance. Low/no calorie sweeteners can only modify one single aspect of energy intake: i.e. calories from […]
An interview with Stephen Fleming, PhD, Traverse Science An unhealthy diet high in free sugars is commonly recognised as a risk factor for dental caries which has led to increased interest on the role of low/no calorie sweeteners in oral health. Sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose and stevia do not affect our teeth in the […]
An interview with Professor Katherine Appleton and Dr Lucy Boxall, Bournemouth University, UK Dietary recommendations around the world consistently call for a reduction in high free sugars intake. However, effective strategies to achieve such a dietary change are yet to be defined. With this scope, a newly published randomised controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness […]
Looking back at new research on low/no calorie sweeteners and scientific milestones of 2024 Highlights: The beneficial role of low/no calorie sweetened beverages in weight control of children and adults has been clarified in new research A comprehensive review of the literature rejected the widespread assumption that exposure to sweet taste drives a “sweet […]
Science news from the 41st International Symposium on Diabetes and Nutrition, the 31st European Congress on Obesity, and the ISA-FINUT webinar Highlights: Data analysis of observational studies using advanced methodologies to reduce bias rejects the notion that sweeteners’ intake is associated with weight gain Prospective cohort studies with substitution analysis report a reduced obesity […]
The “sweet tooth” hypothesis examined and rejected in a new review study Highlights: Evidence from human studies does not provide support to the widespread assumption that sweetness exposure drives a “sweet tooth”, a review of multiple studies shows After consuming a sweet-tasting food or drink, the desire for sweetness and consumption of the same […]
Explore evidence-based information on the safety and benefits of low/no calorie sweeteners.
The International Sweeteners Association (ISA) is an international non-profit organisation with scientific aims representing suppliers and users of low/no calorie sweeteners. The ISA informs and educates on the most up-to-date nutritional and scientific information in relation to the role and benefits of low/no calorie sweeteners, and the foods and beverages that contain them.
