The Hidden Chemicals In Splenda

People may think Johnson & Johnsons Splenda, made from sucralose, has "come to the rescue" as the newest chemical sugar replacement "made from real sugar." People dont want to hear that it may be just as dangerous as aspartame, and this "white knight" of sweeteners is no improvement.

Splenda (sucralose) is created in the lab, using a complex process involving dozens of chemicals you and I can barely pronounce - let alone consume. To illustrate the alarming "chemical soup" required to create sucralose, I have listed here the actual process for producing this sweetener. I highlighted the chemicals in bold type for emphasis.

According to the Splenda International Patent AL- and PEP Review #-- (July ), sucralose is synthesized by this five-step process:

. sucrose is tritylated with trityl chloride in the presence of dimethylformamide and -methylmorpholine and the tritylated sucrose is then acetylated with acetic anhydride,

. the resulting TRISPA (,','-tri-O-trityl-penta-O-acetylsucrose) is chlorinated with hydrogen chloride in the presence of toluene,

. the resulting -PAS (sucrose ,,,','-pentaacetate) is heated in the presence of methyl isobutyl ketone and acetic acid,

. the resulting -PAS (sucrose ,,,','-pentaacetate) is chlorinated with thionyl chloride in the presence of toluene and benzyltriethylammonium chloride, and

. the resulting TOSPA (sucralose pentaacetate) is treated with methanol (wood alcohol, a poison) in the presence of sodium methoxide to produce sucralose.

The Splenda marketers stress that sucralose is "made from sugar but is derived from this sugar through a process that selectively substitutes three atoms of chlorine for three hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sucrose molecule." While this is true, it is a deceptively simple description, implying that sucralose is just a benign sugar with a touch of chlorine, and thereby, safe for consumption.

So sucralose becomes a "low-calorie" sugar with a complicated process that results in Splendas chemical formula: ,-dichloro-, -dideoxy-BETA-D-fructofuranosyl--chloro--deoxy-alpha-D-galactopyranoside.

The FDA states in their Final Report on Splenda that sucralose is "produced at an approximate purity of ninety-eight percent." The other two percent does not have to be reported to the FDA, nor listed as added ingredients. So whats in the other two percent? The chemicals used to synthesize sucralose in the five-step process:

. Acetone . Acetic acid . Acetyl alcohol . Acetic anhydride . Ammonium chloride . Benzene . Chlorinated sulfates . Ethyl alcohol . Isobutyl ketones . Formaldehyde . Hydrogen chloride . Lithium chloride . Methanol . Sodium methoxide . Sulfuryl chloride . Trityl chloride . Toluene . Thionyl chloride

Now you can see why I do not recommend sucralose for pregnancy or for children, especially after reading this list.

Its time to admit that there is no free ticket to eating all the sugar-free products you desire without paying the high price of harming your body in the long run. Laboratory chemicals are not the answer.

From Dr. Janet Starr Hull's website Splenda Exposed:

This information is based on research from Dr. Janet Starr Hull. For more information on Splenda, see Dr. Hulls newly released book Splenda: Is It Safe Or Not? at http://www.issplendasafe.com.