Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology (한국식품과학회지)

Korean Society of Food Science and Technology (한국식품과학회)
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Safety of Saccharin and Its Current Status of Regulation in the World

삭카린의 안전성과 각국의 관리 현황

  • Kim, Jeong-Weon (Department of Food Engineering, Dankook University) ;
  • Baek, Hyung-Hee (Department of Science and Technology Education for Life, Seoul National University of Education)
  • 김정원 (단국대학교 식품공학과) ;
  • 백형희 (서울교육대학교 생활과학교육과)
  • Received : 2011.09.29
  • Accepted : 2011.10.31
  • Published : 2011.12.31
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Abstract

Saccharin was reported to cause urinary bladder cancer in male rats when fed at high doses in a two-generation study, which led to a ban on the use of saccharin in Canada. However, no carcinogenic effect has been observed in other animal experiments conducted with mice, hamsters, or monkeys. Furthermore, numerous epidemiological studies have indicated that there was no relationship between saccharin consumption and the risk of bladder cancer in the human population. Sodium saccharin produces urothelial bladder tumors in rats by the formation of a urinary calcium phosphatecontaining precipitate, which is not relevant to humans because of critical interspecies difference in urine composition. Consequently, in 1999 IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) concluded that saccharin and its salts cannot be classified as to their carcinogenicity in humans. In 2010, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) of the United States removed saccharin from its list of hazardous substances. It is expected that the use of saccharin in foods might be expanded because saccharin is currently considered safe.

Keywords

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