cyclamic acid

International Numbering System (INS) for Food Additives: 952

Food additives Europe numbers: E952

Cyclamic acid and its salts, particularly sodium cyclamate, are a bit of a complex case when it comes to food excipients. Here's the breakdown:

Sweetener, Not Quite an Excipient:

• Cyclamic acid and its salts (like sodium cyclamate) are artificial sweeteners, not typical food excipients. Excipients usually don't contribute sweetness or flavor.

Use and Regulation:

• Widely Used Elsewhere: Cyclamic acid and its salts are used as sweeteners in many countries around the world.
• Banned in the US: However, in the US, the FDA has banned cyclamate use as a food additive due to early studies raising concerns about potential carcinogenicity (cancer-causing properties) at high doses.
• Safety Concerns Disputed: These concerns have been disputed by some later studies, and cyclamic acid is considered safe for consumption at permitted levels in many other countries.

Alternatives and Current Status:

• Due to the US ban, cyclamic acid and its salts aren't used in commercially produced foods in the US. There are other approved artificial sweeteners available, like sucralose and aspartame.
• If you encounter a product with cyclamic acid as a sweetener, it likely wouldn't be from the US market.

Summary:

While cyclamic acid and its salts function as sweeteners and have some history as food additives, their use in the US is prohibited due to past safety concerns. They are still used in many other countries with regulations allowing their safe application.