Scientists debate about how low-calorie sweeteners in foods and beverages can affect human metabolism, with some saying that they could affect metabolism in ways that contribute to obesity and diabetes. In contrast, others say that they have little impact on metabolism.
A study published in Cell Metabolism found that people who drank beverages that contained the low-calorie sweetener sucralose did experience metabolic problems and issues with neural responses but only when the beverage was formulated with both sucralose and a tasteless sugar (maltodextrin). “Consumption of sucralose combined with carbohydrates impairs insulin sensitivity,” the researchers from Yale University wrote in their study. “This metabolic impairment is associated with decreases in neural responses to sugar.”
Additionally, the results showed that the subjects who consumed beverages made with the low-calorie sweetener only and those who consumed beverages made with sucrose only did not impair metabolism “The subjects had seven low-calorie drinks, each containing the equivalent of two packages of Splenda, over two weeks,” says senior author Dana Small, professor of psychiatry and psychology and director of the Modern Diet and Physiology Research Center, in a Yale University press release. “When the drink was consumed with just the low-calorie sweetener, no changes were observed; however, when this same amount of low-calorie sweetener was consumed with a carbohydrate added to the drink, sugar metabolism and brain response to sugar became impaired.”
Since 2017, IFT’s Global Food Traceability Center has worked with the World Wildlife Fund to advance a unified framework by convening seafood companies and other relevant stakeholders as part of the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability. We’ve convened this podcast to discuss the latest in traceability, particularly in the seafood industry.
In this podcast, we discuss food safety culture, including how food safety culture is established, measured, and how they are expected to change in light of ongoing advancements in food science and policy. Our guests include Hugo Gutierrez, Global Food Safety and Quality Officer for Kerry, and Bob Gravani, Professor Emeritus of Food Science and Director Emeritus of the National Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Program at Cornell University.
This column offers information about the nutritional and environmental benefits of edible insects as a protein source, along with safety and legal considerations.
A profile of South Dakota State researcher Srinivas Janaswamy and his work on creating sustainable packaging films.
Food scientists investigate possible reasons for frozen dessert shrinkage and ways to mitigate the problem.
Center store purchases are being impacted by rising food prices in a number of categories.
News about food science research, food companies, food regulations, and consumer/marketplace trends
Scientists from the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have identified a new way to detect the presence of live African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) that minimizes the need for samples from live animals and provides easier access to veterinary labs that need to diagnose the virus.
The report, prepared by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service in coordination with the Office of the Chief Economist, summarizes market conditions, fed cattle prices, boxed beef values, and the spread before and after the fire and plant closure at the Tyson Holcomb, Kan., plant, and before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Coca-Cola Co. said it believes the biggest challenges of the pandemic are behind it, despite the current surge in coronavirus cases in many parts of the United States.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has released a draft approach that aims to harmonize assessments of the intake of these nutrients, the potentially hazardous properties of excessive intakes, and the overall risks for consumers.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that routine inspections of small businesses to verify compliance with the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) Intentional Adulteration (IA) rule will begin in March 2021.
