Estimation of exposures to non-nutritive sweeteners from consumption of tabletop sweetener products: a review

Reliable estimation of intake of non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) from tabletop sweetener products (TTS) is complex. Some TTS contain more than one type of NNS and more importantly, there can be considerable formula variation between different types of TTS products; that is liquid, powder and tablet products. A survey of use levels (mg NNS/kg TTS retail product) confirmed wide variations and reflected major differences in the portion size, or mass, typically used to deliver a sweetness equivalent to around one teaspoon (tsp) of sugar. This paper reviews current intake estimation models and reveals that these models may result in inappropriate intake estimations, probably because some surveys did not discriminate between powder, tablet and liquid forms. The data suggest that using upper percentile consumption figures for powdered forms is a critical factor in intake estimations and may be a more realistic method by which overall exposure estimates could be obtained.