At last

At last

Sucralose is a sweetener patented by us -based Johnson and Johnson (j & j) and sold under the name Splenda in the us . In February 2005, the us Sugar Association along with consumer organisations Center for Science in the Public Interest and the National Grange launched a website to create awareness about Splenda's harmful effects (www.truthaboutsplenda.com). j & j 's ad campaign, the site says, misleads consumers by claiming Splenda is made from sugar and is natural. This is the first time industry and public interest organisations have backed negative information on a sweetener.

The us sugar industry is certainly seething. The association had, in December 2004, filed a lawsuit against j & j seeking an injunction to prevent them from misleading people. The artificial sweetener industry is also affected. Here's a rival to aspartame. Moreover, both Coca Cola and PepsiCo have decided to use Splenda for their diet drinks. But sweetener makers are also caught in a double bind. When contacted, the NutraSweet Company -- an aspartame promoter -- stoically suggested the move wasn't significant; soft drink companies would use aspartame, too. This is a muted murmur, and must be so: what if this anti-sweetener campaign broadens to include aspartame?

India unaffected j & j has defended both the product and the campaign. "There is no merit to efforts now being launched against the brand that question its clarity of communication about benefits. Splenda provides a safe option for consumers who want to manage, and lower, their sugar intake. Our sweetener has been on the market for more than 4 years. During this period, any competitor or anybody else has not formally challenged its packaging and marketing," says Tracey Ely of Splenda consumer relationship center. Certainly in India, potentially the Eldorado of the sweetener market, nobody plans to. Sucralose has recently been introduced here; it is sold as "Zero", made by Gujarat-based pharma company Alembic Limited. The advertising method is the same as that used in usa. Worse, the product does not provide a safety warning. If the anti-Splenda campaign -- vested interests apart -- proves what some scientists have been saying all along, that all sweeteners are unsafe, wouldn't this be the right time to raise the pitch against sweeteners in India? Make a pitch for proper labelling, and ensure accurate information is placed in the public domain? 12jav.net12jav.net