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 : 17 July 2026
Brussels, 17th July 2026: The International Sweeteners Association (ISA) welcomes new research that contributes to our understanding of the interactions between low/no calorie sweeteners and the gut microbiota. However, the new study by Blasche et al. should be regarded as a mechanistic screening study rather than evidence that low/no calorie sweeteners adversely affect the human […]
Posted : 8 July 2026
Brussels, 08 July 2026: The International Sweeteners Association (ISA) notes the publication of a new narrative review with a meta-analysis by Wang et al. examining the effects of low/no calorie sweeteners (LNCS) on cardiometabolic health. These findings do not alter the overall evidence base supporting LNCS as alternatives to sugar and should be interpreted cautiously […]
Posted : 2 July 2026
Brussels, 2nd July 2026: A new publication in Nutrición Hospitalaria presenting the proceedings of the 1st Latin American Scientific Forum on Low/No Calorie Sweeteners brings together leading scientific expertise on a topic central to public health in the region: how to reduce excess sugar intake. The paper highlights the role of low/no calorie sweeteners and […]
Posted : 2 July 2026
Public discussions about food ingredients often frame low/no calorie sweeteners as either “natural” or “artificial.” While familiar, this distinction does not reflect how ingredients are scientifically assessed, regulated, or used in support of dietary goals. Most countries evaluating and regulating sweeteners do not make a distinction based on their nature or origin, as the focus […]
Posted : 10 April 2026
Brussels, 10 April 2026: The International Sweeteners Association (ISA) notes the publication of a new study in Frontiers in Nutrition examining the transgenerational effects of sucralose and stevia under experimental conditions in mice. It is important to place these findings in the appropriate context while reaffirming that they do not challenge the established conclusions on […]
Posted : 17 February 2026
Brussels, 17th February 2026: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published today a new scientific opinion confirming the safety of sucralose, one of the most widely used low/no calorie sweeteners.1 As part of the most comprehensive assessment of sucralose in the past 20 years EFSA reviewed the available scientific evidence, including data on short- […]
Conclusions from the 1st Latin American Scientific Forum on Low/No Calorie Sweeteners Highlights: Latin American and international experts concluded that approved low/no calorie sweeteners are safe within established intake limits and can support efforts to reduce excess free sugars consumption. Clinical trials and bias-adjusted prospective cohorts agree that replacing sugar with low/no calorie sweeteners […]
Highlights: The evidence base on low/no calorie sweeteners has evolved substantially since the 2023 WHO guideline, with new findings aligning across clinical trials and bias-adjusted cohort studies. Large, long-term clinical trials provide further evidence that low/no calorie sweeteners can aid long-term weight management. Bias-adjusted analyses of prospective cohorts do not support associations between low/no calorie […]
Highlights: Analysis of three large prospective cohorts suggests that replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with diet drinks or water may help limit long-term weight gain. Increasing intake of low/no calorie sweetened beverages was not associated with weight gain, but rather, with slightly less weight gain over time. Findings are in line with evidence from randomised controlled trials […]
The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 promote a “real food” approach that prioritises minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods while discouraging consumption of highly processed products and food additives, including low/no calorie sweeteners. However, the recommendation regarding low/no calorie sweeteners is weakly substantiated and appears to be driven more by the ideology about “processing” than by a […]
What recent research reveals about low/no calorie sweeteners’ health effects and benefits Highlights Weight loss maintenance: A 2025 landmark clinical trial publication shows that incorporating low/no calorie sweeteners into a healthy, low-sugar diet can help people with overweight or obesity keep the lost weight off over one year. Low/no calorie sweeteners in diabetes: Recent position statements from […]
Highlights: Adults’ sweet taste preferences are remarkably stable. A six-month intervention with low, regular, or high exposure to sweet-tasting foods in the diet did not change how much people liked sweetness or how intensely they perceived it. Dietary sweetness exposure did not influence eating behaviour or health outcomes. No differences were found in calorie intake, […]
Conclusions from the 1st Latin American Scientific Forum on Low/No Calorie Sweeteners Highlights: Latin American and international experts concluded that approved low/no calorie sweeteners are safe within established intake limits and can support efforts to reduce excess free sugars consumption. Clinical trials and bias-adjusted prospective cohorts agree that replacing sugar with low/no calorie sweeteners […]
Highlights: The evidence base on low/no calorie sweeteners has evolved substantially since the 2023 WHO guideline, with new findings aligning across clinical trials and bias-adjusted cohort studies. Large, long-term clinical trials provide further evidence that low/no calorie sweeteners can aid long-term weight management. Bias-adjusted analyses of prospective cohorts do not support associations between low/no calorie […]
Highlights: Analysis of three large prospective cohorts suggests that replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with diet drinks or water may help limit long-term weight gain. Increasing intake of low/no calorie sweetened beverages was not associated with weight gain, but rather, with slightly less weight gain over time. Findings are in line with evidence from randomised controlled trials […]
The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 promote a “real food” approach that prioritises minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods while discouraging consumption of highly processed products and food additives, including low/no calorie sweeteners. However, the recommendation regarding low/no calorie sweeteners is weakly substantiated and appears to be driven more by the ideology about “processing” than by a […]
What recent research reveals about low/no calorie sweeteners’ health effects and benefits Highlights Weight loss maintenance: A 2025 landmark clinical trial publication shows that incorporating low/no calorie sweeteners into a healthy, low-sugar diet can help people with overweight or obesity keep the lost weight off over one year. Low/no calorie sweeteners in diabetes: Recent position statements from […]
Highlights: Adults’ sweet taste preferences are remarkably stable. A six-month intervention with low, regular, or high exposure to sweet-tasting foods in the diet did not change how much people liked sweetness or how intensely they perceived it. Dietary sweetness exposure did not influence eating behaviour or health outcomes. No differences were found in calorie intake, […]
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.
