Lok Sabha Question No. 881 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-26
Subject: Artificial Sweeteners
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Janardan Singh Sigriwal

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.881 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26 TH JULY, 2024

## ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

## 881. SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL:

Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken note of recent report stating artificial sweetners like aspartame present in cold drinks may cause cancer in the country and if so, the details thereof;

(b) the reaction of the Government thereto along with the corrective measures taken by the Government in this regard;

(c) whether Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has received complaints about a large number of health supplements being sold in the market by various companies in contravention of the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2022 and if so, the details thereof;

(d) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government against such companies/sellers; and

(e) whether the Union Government has issued guidelines to States to check nutraceuticals and health supplements for ensuring quality and safety from time to time and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. ANUPRIYAPATEL)

(a) & (b): Assessments of the health impacts of the non-sugar sweetener aspartame conducted by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as well as World Health Organization - Food and Agriculture Organization (WHO-FAO) Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) cite 'limited evidence' for carcinogenicity in humans. However, IARC has classified aspartame as 'possibly carcinogenic' to humans (IARC Group 2B) and JECFA accordingly has reaffirmed that the acceptable daily intake should be 40 mg/kg body weight.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has already laid down the standards for various artificial sweeteners in the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011. These standards for non-caloric sweeteners and limits for use of such non-caloric sweeteners in various food products have been laid down on the basis of risk assessment and Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) established by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the limits are in harmonization with Codex Alimentarius Commission.

(c) to (e): The implementation and enforcement of provisions under Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 and Rules and Regulations, primarily lies with the State/UT Governments. To ensure compliance with these provisions, State/UT Governments take up surveillance, monitoring and inspection activities.

Further, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) receives complaints on food commodities including Health Supplements. The authority through its Regional Offices (RO) and Food & Drug Administration (FDA) of States/UTs investigates the cases and conducts enforcement actions.

Samples of food items including nutraceuticals and health supplements are drawn by State Food Safety Officers and sent to the laboratories recognised by FSSAI for analysis. In cases where samples are found to be non-conforming to the provisions of the Act and the Rules and Regulations made, recourse is taken to penal provisions under the FSS Act.

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