Cyclamate
Also known as: Sodium Cyclamate, Calcium Cyclamate
Sweeteners
Safety rating
Use Sparingly
Eat Away!Generally SafeUse SparinglyAvoid
Purpose and Function
Cyclamate is a synthetic sweetener roughly 30-50 times sweeter than sucrose, heat-stable and often combined with other sweeteners like saccharin to improve flavor profile and reduce bitter aftertaste.
Commonly found in
- —Beverages, baked goods, and candies (outside the US)
Key functions
- —Sweetens without calories (~30-50x sweeter than sucrose)
- —Heat-stable in both hot and cold preparations
Potential Risks and Side Effects
- 01Banned in the United States since 1969 over 1960s animal studies suggesting bladder cancer risk, not consistently replicated in later human research
- 02Gut bacteria in some people convert it to cyclohexylamine, associated with toxic effects at high concentration (typically too low in practice to cause harm)
- 03Approved for use in over 100 countries including the EU and Canada, within acceptable daily intake limits