Marketing Nutrasweet(aspartame) for children

[uwila]

Does anyone else have a problem with this? The one that really gets me is children's medicine. I recently went to Boots to buy some medised for my 8 month old DS. When she pulled the "sugar free" bottle off the shelf, I said "Oh no. I want the one with sugar." and she said "With sugar?" and I replied "Yes, it's better than nutrasweet. My 8 month old baby doen't need to be on a diet." I just can't understand why I seem to be the only one who thinks nutrasweet is not a good thing for my young children. What do you think? Should there be warnings on food so unsuspecting parents can be informed of the chemical crap they are putting into their children? And, I am the biggest Diet Coke feind that ever lived. But, young children are surely netter off with plain sugar.

Uwila,

Isn't it the food standards agency? They deal with GM foods, and additives.

Their website is here . Sorry can't investigate further today, too much to do (and yesterday afternoon disappeared down a hole of mumsnet, when I should have got work done), but will keep an eye on this.

Would support you in trying to get some investigation done on this.

Passionflower

some links about sucralose

So it is chlorinated sugar No?

Anyone know if this is terribly bad or not? I'm not very scietifically minded I'm afraid.

and my spelling stinks today as well.

Looks like a lost cause:

aspartame review on the Food Standards Agency website .

They surely aren't going to put up warning for a substance they believe to be safe.

We will just have to continue to be vigilent then.

I have noticed that it is becomming easier to spot on food and drink packaging. Robinsons have different coloured lids for no artificial sweetners and sugar free (blue is artificial and green is sugar I think). I am also seeing more things labelled 'no artificial sweeteners'. I think manufaturers are realising that there are increasing numbers of people who object to chemicals in their food.

Hiya
I know you thought there was no info on the site I suggested earlier, but it does tell you of the scientific risks associated ith Aspartame. When heated (ie ingested) it heats up and breaks down into three of its main chemical components one of which is formaldehyde. This alone cannot be good! let alone all of the other side effects the escientists have found. The report also shows how the scientists have been overruled and hushed, and the majority of foods given E numbers to show they have been tested for safety are actually tested by the big manufacturers, not unbiased researchers. It really is down to us to boycot it at all times and be extra vigilant on reading labels. Sorry, I sound like a total nut, but this is a real bugbear of mine, especially when it is being put in items not labelled sugar free.