As definitely scientific types are arguing over it I suggest that constitutes a controversy.
There where a lot of scientific types that said there was no evidence that thalidomide was harmful.
Acesulfame-K, a sweetening agent, was evaluated
in vivo for its genotoxic and clastogenic potentials. Swiss albino male mice were exposed to the compound by gavage. Bone marrow cells isolated from femora were analysed for chromosome aberrations. Doses of 15, 30, 60, 450, 1500 and 2250 mg of acesulfame-K/kg body weight induced a positive dose-dependent significant clastogenicity (trend test
α < 0.05). These doses were within the no-toxic-effect levels (1.5-3 g/kg body weight in rats) reported by the Joint Expert Committee for Food Additives of the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. In view of the present significant
in vivo mammalian genotoxicity data, acesulfame-K should be used with caution.
Aspartame and acesulfame-K, non-nutritive sweeteners, are permitted individually in diets and beverages. These sweeteners of different classes, used in combination, have been found to possess a synergistic sweetening effect. Whether they also have a synergistic genotoxic effect is unknown. Swiss Albino male mice were exposed to blends of aspartame (3.5, 35, 350 mg/kg body weight) and acesulfame-K (1.5, 15 and 150 mg/kg body weight) by gavage. Bone marrow cells isolated from femora were analysed for chromosome aberrations. Statistical analysis of the results show that aspartame in combination with acesulfame-K is not significantly genotoxic.
Int J Occup Environ Health. 2010 Jan-Mar;16(1):89-96.
Inadequate toxicity tests of food additive acesulfame.
Karstadt M1.
Author information
1Drexel University, School of Public Health, Philadelphia, USA.
[email protected]
Erratum in
Int J Occup Environ Health. 2010 Apr-Jun;16(2):112.
Abstract
Despite poor-quality toxicity tests, acesulfame potassium was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as an artificial sweetener. At present, acesulfame is very widely used, most frequently in blends with the most popular artificial sweetener in the US, sucralose (Splenda). Acesulfame was nominated twice (in 1996 and again in 2006) for testing in the National Toxicology Program (NTP) bioassay program. Both nominations were rejected by NTP. Rather than carry out bioassays, NTP subjected acesulfame to tests in genetically modified mice (GMM). Those GMM tests yielded results that provided no insight into potential carcinogenicity of acesulfame. It is possible that FDA discouraged NTP from conducting bioassays of acesulfame. Acesulfame should be tested in the bioassay program as soon as possible, and steps should be taken to ensure the objectivity of the bioassay nomination process.