Mexico City, 1st December 2025. With the participation of more than 20 international experts from Latin America, Europe, and North America, the 1st Latin American Scientific Forum on Low/No Calorie Sweeteners concluded in Mérida, Yucatán, marking a milestone in advancing scientific dialogue on nutrition, public health, and food policy in the region.
Organized by the Ibero-American Nutrition Foundation (FINUT) and the Marista University of Mérida, with the support of the International Sweeteners Association (ISA) and the Yucatán Convention Bureau, the two-day forum took place on November 27–28, 2025.
The event brought together leading researchers, health professionals, and representatives from regional medical and nutrition organisations to discuss the most recent scientific findings on the use, safety, and potential benefits of low/no calorie sweeteners.
Latin America at the centre of the scientific conversation over low/no calorie sweeteners
Throughout two days of scientific exchange, experts addressed key topics such as the safety and toxicological evaluation of sweeteners, their impact on gut microbiota, their role in weight management, and their contribution to the control of chronic conditions such as obesity and diabetes.
Participants from Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, among a total of 12 countries, agreed on the importance of strengthening scientific and regulatory communication around sweeteners and ensuring that public health policies are grounded in up-to-date, high-quality scientific evidence.
Amid ongoing concerns that public health policies aimed at reducing excess sugar intake may have increased the use of low/no calorie sweeteners, experts from Latin American countries presented recent data showing that their consumption consistently remains below established safety limits across all population groups.
International experts were invited to contribute to the discussion on conflicting evidence regarding the benefits and health effects of low/no calorie sweeteners by presenting advanced new methodologies that address current research limitations. It was emphasised that there is an urgent need to expand the use of new robust methods to inform future guidelines development.
Dr. Hugo Laviada-Molina, endocrinologist, Research Professor at the Marista University of Mérida, and one of the forum’s scientific chairs, said: “The event has proved to be a great platform for international scientific collaboration and evidence-based discussion on low/no calorie sweeteners.”
Dr. Ángel Gil, Honorary President of FINUT and Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Granada in Spain, and chair of the event, noted that the 1st Latin American Scientific Forum on low/no calorie sweeteners provided an updated overview of the intake of free sugars and sweeteners in Latin America, their safety, and their health effects. He also emphasised that the forum offered a comprehensive perspective on their relationship with the most prevalent chronic diseases, as well as their benefits and potential risks.
Science, dialogue, and collaboration from the region
The forum stood out for its multidisciplinary and collaborative approach, encouraging exchanges among the scientific and health communities. Participants discussed about evidence gaps and future research needs, agreeing that access to scientific evidence is key to enabling informed, balanced, and effective decision-making in public health.
The success of the event reinforced the need to continue fostering scientific dialogue in Latin America and to strengthen collaboration between local and international institutions.
***