Sunday, October 5, 2008

California State Assembly, Committee on Health held information session on the health effects of artificial sweeteners (sucralose, aspartame)

Rich Murray 2008.10.04
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.htm
Saturday, October 04, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1565

http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/news.html?d=151409

Source: Assemblyman Mervyn N. Dymally
California Assembly Committee on Health to Hold Hearings Regarding Deceptive Advertising and Artificial Sweeteners

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 2, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Assemblymember Mervyn M. Dymally (D-Compton), Chair of the California Assembly Committee on Health, will convene legislative hearings tomorrow in Sacramento on the use of deceptive advertising to promote sales of potentially unhealthy food additives, particularly artificial sweeteners.

The hearing will be on October 3, 2008, at 1:30 p.m. in Room 126 of the State Capitol in Sacramento.

The Committee plans on taking testimony from consumer watchdog organizations regarding the FDA's failure to properly examine the adverse health consequences of using false advertising to promote artificial sweeteners. Additionally, the Committee will receive testimony from a national food safety watchdog group on the widespread use of false and misleading advertising of artificial sweeteners. The authors of a recently published study at Duke University on the health side effects of sucralose will also testify.

According to a study published earlier this month in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, sucralose could pose a threat to the people who consume the product. The Committee is expected to hear from consumers who reported using artificial sweeteners on the advertised assumption that they were side-effects free and then went through substantial gastrointestinal agony until they eliminated the sweeteners from their diets.

"Given the wide-spread interest is this issue, it is important that the Assembly Committee on Health examine whether Proposition 65 should apply to artificial sweeteners, since some contain chemicals like chlorine which can be extremely toxic. It is critical that the Committee examine whether products containing these potentially hazardous chemicals should be identified by a label so consumers can make more informed decisions before using these products," said Dymally.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the Committee may consider whether the issues raised merit new legislation to provide additional protection to consumers.

CONTACT: California Assembly Committee on Health
Francis Taylor
(310) 223-1201

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