EFSA reconfirms safety of sucralose in its latest scientific opinion

Brussels, 17^th 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- and long-term effects, manufacturing processes and dietary exposure, and reconfirmed that sucralose is safe at the established Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 15 mg/kg body weight per day.²The opinion also confirmed that consumer exposure remains within safe limits under typical conditions of use.

This review is part of EFSA’s programme of re-evaluation of all food additives authorised for use in the EU and follows the initial assessment of sucralose in the EU in 2000. Its conclusions are in line with previous evaluations by other international and national food safety authorities, including the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).³

Low/no calorie sweeteners such as sucralose can play a role in reducing sugar intake. They offer sweet-tasting options with few or no calories, aiding in overall calorie reduction⁴ and blood glucose management⁵ when used instead of sugar in a balanced diet. Additionally, low/no calorie sweeteners are tooth-friendly ingredients that do not contribute to tooth demineralisation, which causes tooth decay.⁶

***

For media enquiries, please contact media@sweeteners.org

REFERENCES

https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/9854
Regarding the third party request to extend the use of sucralose to a new category of products (fine bakery wares) this could not be granted due to a perceived data gap.
http://www.fao.org/food/food-safety-quality/scientific-advice/jecfa/en/
Bellisle F. Low- or No-Energy Sweeteners and Body Weight Management: Dissecting a “Minor” Effect. Obesity Reviews. 2025;e13937. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13937
Joint position statement on the use of low or no calorie sweeteners (LNCS). British Dietetic Association (BDA), British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), Diabetes UK. October 2025. Available at: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about-us/about-the-charity/our-strategy/position-statements/use-of-low-or-no-calorie-sweetners
EFSA Scientific opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to intense sweeteners. EFSA 2011 Journal 9(6): 2229, and 9(4): 2076.