Non-caloric sweeteners: specific characteristics and safety assessment.

Non-caloric sweeteners are food additives that can be added to food and beverages, in substitution of sugar, thus allowing to decrease energy content and free sugars intake. However, many health care professionals have questioned the safety of these additives for human consumption. Therefore, it is crucial that health care professionals become familiar with the characteristics of each non-caloric sweetener (chemical structure, absorption profile, metabolism, and route of excretion) and with the findings of the detailed safety assessments done prior to their approval, so that they can be a reliable source of scientific information for their patients.The purpose of this article is to provide a better understanding of the safety assessment process of non-caloric sweeteners prior to their approval, which includes determining the non-observed adverse effect level and the acceptable daily intake.