Re:

The article at this link:
http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/549sucralose.html


which is from a college, includes the statement:

"Since, chlorine is something we consume every day in our water and other foods we eat, it is safe in this formulation."

That statement is not necessarily true. First, there is no elemental chlorine present in what people consume regularly. Chloride ion, yes. Chlorine, no. Moreover, just because there is chloride present in other foods, does not mean that the forumla shown is safe.

The author also used the word "formulation" improperly. A formulation contains a plurality of ingredients. What they should have written was "structural formula".

In general, alkyl halides are well-known to cause liver damage. If one were to pull the MSDS for sucralose (SPLENDA(TM)), it will likely say that it is a lachrymator, and to avoid breathing the dust. It probably states to wear a respirator.

The article also states that "... is safe for everyone to consume". Absolute statements like that always fail. All it takes is to identify one person for whom it is not safe, and the statement is proven false. Since people are allergic and have reactions to many things, including substances we generally regard as being benign such as wheat, peanuts, dairy products, it is highly likely that some will react adversely to sucralose.

Point is - even the websites of colleges contain simple short articles which are riddled with mis-applications of words, invalid conclusions, and outright falsehoods. One difficulty arises when people believe that what a college publishes MUST be true, or that Diet Cola cannot possibly be bad because the regulators would never permit it to be sold if it were. Wrong wrong wrong.

I wouldn't touch an artificial sweetner, nor any food containing same. I once bought a lemonade at a street fair, took one sip, and knew it was adulterated with chemical sweetner. Went back to the seller, and they confirmed it. When I want something sweet, a good apple does the trick. I put Sugar in my coffee, but so did all my relic ancestors, who are still alive and kicking. Sugar ain't what makes you fat anyway. Who brainwashed these people into believing that fake sweetners would keep them slim ? College websites ? Ahhh yes, their television sets and their girlfriends. Can't they freakin figure it out yet, that it ain't the Sugar that makes one fat ? All the folks habitually drinking them large Diet sodas who are toting around an extra 70 pounds should be evidence enough, no ? And they're worried about a few grams of sugar ? Go figure.