Cyclamate – banned by FDA in soft drinks

Cyclamate is an odorless, white crystalline powder. The name usually denotes either calcium cyclamate or sodium cyclamate, both of which are salts of cyclohexylsulfamic acid. It is used most commonly in cordials/fruit drinks, carbonated soft drinks, desserts, confectionery and as a table top sweetener. Because of potential health concerns, this substance has been banned in the US by the Food and Drug Administration since 1969, since it is suspected of being carcinogenic.

Cyclamate is a synthetic artificial sweetener that is 30 to 50 times sweeter than sugar -- the least sweet of all artificial sweeteners. Cyclamate does leave an aftertaste, although less so than other artificial sweeteners such as saccharin.

Cyclamate was discovered in 1937. It was used as a low-calorie sweetener in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. Cyclamate is 30 times sweeter than sugar, making it the least potent artificial sweetener.

It has been subjected to numerous safety and carcinogenicity studies. Animal data led to warning against excessive and indiscriminate use a long time ago, causing the World Health Organization in 1967 to adopt a safety limit of 50 mg/kg. An animal study in 1970 found an increased incidence of bladder cancers in rats exposed to a mix of cyclamate and saccharin (Science 1970 Feb 20;167(3921):1131-2)

Cyclamate was banned by the UK in the late sixties after being linked to cancer, before being re-evaluated and reinstated in 1996.
Cyclamate – banned by FDA in soft drinks

Artificial sweetener cyclamate

Cyclamates are substances derived from benzene. It was accidentally discovered in 1937 by Michael Sveda, a University of Illinois graduate student at the time.

This substance, which provides to be approximately 3 times sweeter than sugar, was first marketed in 1949 as sodium cyclamate in tablet form for use by diabetics. Cyclamate was introduced in the United States by Abbott Laboratory. It does have a significant bitter flavor component to it taste profile.

Cyclamate also has a salty attribute which is likely due to the high sodium ion concentration present in sweet solutions of sodium cyclamate. Cyclamates are produced by the sulfonation of cyclohexylamine.

Cyclamates were once commonly used in combination with saccharin; this not only masked the bitter ate of the saccharin and made both substances taste sweeter.
Artificial sweetener cyclamate

Cyclamate in soft drinks

With the general name of cycklohexysulphamate, this sweetener was discovered in 1937 by Michael Sveda at the University of Illinois.

Cyclamate is almost invariably used as either the sodium or calcium salt, each of which is a non caloric, white crystalline powder with good solubility.

The relative sweetness of cyclamate is comparatively low, at approximately 35, in most foods system. The taste of cyclamate as a sole sweetener has a slow onset time and can have a sweet/sour after taste at high concentrations.

In combination with other intense sweeteners, its sweetness quality is greatly improved and it is synergistic with saccharin.

Cyclamate is stable under conditions likely to be encountered in soft drinks, that is, pH range 2-7, pasteurization and UHT treatments. It is stable at high temperatures and therefore suitable for cooking and baking. It is often used in soft drinks, dairy product and chocolate.

Cyclamates are non-cariogenic and non-caloric. The majority of people metabolize less than 10% of cyclamate intake.

Cyclamates were first approved in 1951 for the use of diabetics and others which need to restrict the intake of sugar.

In 1969, it was banned in the United States for use in general purpose foods on the basis of studies suggesting it may cause tumors in laboratory animals.

In August 1970, the FDA banned cyclamate completely from all food and drugs and several other countries followed suits.
Cyclamate in soft drinks