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.