Those of you who remember the saccharin scare of 30 or so years ago will be interested in this recent decision by EPA. At that time, saccharin was believed to cause cancer in mice, when given to them in huge quantities. It was eventually given limited approval for continued use as a food additive, but it had to handled as a hazardous waste when it was disposed. Looks like it's alright after all.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a rule to remove saccharin and its salts from the agency’s lists of hazardous wastes, hazardous constituents and hazardous substances because it is no longer considered a potential hazard to human health. These lists are used to identify hazardous substances at sites across the country that need to be properly and safely managed. Saccharin is a white crystalline powder used as an artificial sweetener and can be found in diet soft drinks, chewing gum and juice.
Since the 1980s, saccharin was included in EPA’s lists of hazardous wastes, hazardous constituents, and hazardous substances because it was identified as potentially causing cancer in people. In the late 1990s, the National Toxicology Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer re-evaluated the available scientific information on saccharin and its salts and concluded that saccharin and its salts are not potential human carcinogens. Because the scientific basis for remaining on EPA's lists no longer applies, the agency is issuing a proposed rule to remove saccharin and its salts from the list.
The public comment period will be open for 60 days after the proposal is published in the Federal Register.
More information about the proposal: www.epa.gov/waste/hazard/wastetypes/wasteid/saccharin/index.htm
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