Children should not be given ANY drinks with artificial sweeteners, says Government review

Young children should not be given any drinks containing artificial sweeteners, a Government review has concluded.

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) also recommends that adults cut down on “” food and drinks containing the sugar substitutes. UK experts have published a report on non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) following a report by the in 2023 linking them to long term health risks. It found population data suggesting people who consume a lot of sweeteners typically found in “diet” fizzy drinks are at higher risk of developing type 2 and .

Now UK health authorities have reviewed its evidence and concluded that while NSS may help people lose a small amount of weight in the short term by helping reduce sugar intake, it recommends their consumption in the longer term is “minimised”. The guidance comes after the UK’s Sugar Tax in 2018 saw a huge increase in consumption of drinks with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin, sucralose and stevia.

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Diet fizzy drinks such as Diet Coke and soft drinks such as Fruit Shoot contain such sweeteners which have become widely used because they contain little or no calories. Dr Havovi Chichger, expert in biomedical science at Anglia Ruskin University, said: “The committee recommends that children not be given drinks containing non-nutritive sweeteners and that adults work towards a sweetener-free diet.

"Although the use of non-nutritive sweeteners is an important tool to reduce sugar overconsumption, and the related negative health effects, we now understand that these sweet additives can pose various health risks to the public. It might seem contradictory but studies have shown that all commercially-available sweeteners are associated with the development of obesity and diabetes, potentially through a metabolic disruption pathway.”

Younger children – typically those under the age of five – were already advised not to consume sugary drinks. Now experts advising government have said they should not be given “drinks sweetened with sugar or NSS (non-sugar sweeteners)”.

Researchers have previously suggested that artificial sweeteners may disrupt the balance of bacteria in our gut and impact how the body processes nutrients and regulate its . Other theories are that it could interact with our taste receptors, so we crave more sweet food or drink and consume too much, and that it could contribute to insulin resistance and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

None of these have been proven beyond doubt but the Government review has called for more research to be collected into their long term impact. The committee is recommending that it compels food and drinks manufacturers to provide data on quantities of NSS contained in products. Low or no calorie sweeteners are used instead of sugar to sweeten some foods and drinks. These substances are also found in products such as drinks, desserts and ready meals and cakes.

Professor Robin May, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Food Standards Agency, said: “We welcome SACN’s advice on the consumption of non-sugar sweeteners and their call for further research. All sweeteners approved for use in foods in Great Britain have been subject to a rigorous risk assessment before being authorised and the FSA maintains strict oversight of these products. We strongly support SACN’s call for industry to make data on the quantity of these sweeteners in their ingredients publicly available to provide better information on how much people are consuming and to help inform our assessments of these ingredients.”

The UK’s Eatwell Guide recommends that people should aim to drink six to eight cups or glasses of fluid a day. It suggests water, lower-fat milk and sugar-free drinks including tea and coffee.

Professor Naveed Sattar, cardiometabolic expert at Glasgow University, said: “SACN have accepted that the best quality evidence available (i.e. randomised trials) show that NSS lower weight, albeit modestly, as compared to taking sugar rich drinks and that other types of evidence which suggest some harm from NSS are unreliable.

“However SACN also correctly points out that until we have more evidence in the future on benefits and safety of NSS, it would be best to limit the intake of all such sweetened drinks in early childhood so that children become accustomed to drinking unsweetened drinks, preferably water.”

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition acknowledged some of the long-term population studies which suggest harm caused by NSS could be down to “reverse causation”. It explains: “People may have chosen to consume NSS sweetened foods and drinks because of their weight, rather than NSS causing weight gain.”

Nonetheless its recommendations to cut down on NSS are significant because a similar report on sugar in 2015 was the main precursor to the landmark Soft Drinks Industry Levy in 2018. For younger children the committee’s full recommendation suggests “not giving them drinks sweetened with sugar or NSS” and “giving them unsweetened food (not sweetened with either sugar or NSS)”

For older children and adults SACN recommends “swapping sugars for NSS may help reduce sugar intake from foods and drinks (and so reduce energy intake), at least in the short term - the long-term goal is to limit both sugar and NSS intake”. A spokesman for the British Soft Drinks Association said: “We are encouraged that SACN recognises the evidence suggesting the important role non-sugar sweeteners can play in helping people to lose weight.

“Non-sugar sweeteners’ increased use in soft drinks — some of which can be attributed to the introduction of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy — helped take-home sugar in soft drinks to fall by 43.5% between March 2014 and March 2020, and in 2023, seven out of every 10 soft drinks sold in the UK was a low or no-sugar product.”

The International Sweeteners Association responded with a statement saying: "As part of an overall healthy diet and lifestyle, low/no calorie sweeteners can be used to further public health objectives on sugar intake reduction and ultimately assist in weight and diabetes management, as well as with dental health."

Britvic, which manufactures Fruit Shoot, have been approached for comment.