HC Deb 25 May 2004 vol 421 cc1592-3W
Mr. Roger Williams

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the average(a) daily and (b) annual per capita consumption of cyclamates in each year since 1989; [175507]

(2) what research was conducted into the safety of (a) aspartame, (b) monosodium glutamate and (c) cyclamates prior to their introduction onto the British market. [175508]

Miss Melanie Johnson

[holding answer 24 May 2004]I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that surveys of additive intake are not conducted on an annual basis, however the following intake data for cyclamate are available from studies conducted in 1999 and 2003.

The mean intake of cyclamate by United Kingdom consumers was assessed in 1999 and 2003 to be:

Milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day
Adult Children
1999 0.77 8.16
2003 4.46

The safety of aspartame, monosodium glutamate and cyclamate was assessed by the European Commission's Scientific Committee for Food (SCF) prior to their introduction onto the European Market. Details of the research conducted into their safety are contained in the SCF reports which are available at:

Aspartame http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/scf/out155_en.pdf

Monosodium glutamate http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/scf/reports/scf_reports_25.pdf

Cyclamate http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/scf/out53_en.pdf

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