Is Sucralose Bad for You?
The FDA approved sucralose for use in 15 food categories in 1998 and as a general-purpose sweetener for foods in 1999, under certain conditions of use. It lists sucralose’s acceptable daily intake as 5 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, compared with 50 mg for aspartame.
A 2023 North Carolina State University study raised a newer question. In in vitro experiments exposing human blood cells to sucralose-6-acetate, the researchers said they found that it is genotoxic and that it effectively broke up DNA in the cells exposed to it. The experiments were done on cells in the laboratory.
The WHO released a guideline in May 2023 that recommends against using non-sugar sweeteners, including sucralose, aspartame, saccharin and stevia, to control body weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases. It said its review suggested there may be potential undesirable effects from long-term use, such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mortality in adults, and that the recommendation applies to everyone except people with pre-existing diabetes.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Regulatory filingThe FDA approved sucralose for use in 15 food categories in 1998 and for use as a general-purpose sweetener for foods in 1999, under certain conditions of use. US FDA ↗
- Regulatory filingThe FDA lists the acceptable daily intake for sucralose as 5 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, compared with 50 mg for aspartame. US FDA ↗
- StudyIn a 2023 NC State study, in vitro experiments exposing human blood cells to sucralose-6-acetate found it is genotoxic and effectively broke up DNA in exposed cells, the researchers said. North Carolina State University via EurekAlert! ↗
- Government sourceThe WHO released a guideline in May 2023 recommending against using non-sugar sweeteners to control body weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases. World Health Organization ↗
- Government sourceThe WHO said its review suggested there may be potential undesirable effects from long-term use of non-sugar sweeteners, such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mortality in adults. World Health Organization ↗
- Government sourceThe WHO recommendation applies to all people except those with pre-existing diabetes, and the common non-sugar sweeteners it names include sucralose, aspartame, saccharin and stevia. World Health Organization ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.