PLS: Re-evaluation of sucralose (E 955) as a food additive

Veröffentlicht:

16. Februar 2026

Overview

Sucralose (E 955) is a food additive used as a non-nutritive sweetener. It provides sweetness without adding calories or nutritional value.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Food (SCF), EFSA’s predecessor, last evaluated E 955 in 2000.
For the current opinion, the EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF Panel) re-evaluated the safety of E 955 for its use as a food additive.
EFSA has previously published re-evaluations of other sweeteners: aspartame (E 951) in 2013, thaumatin (E 957) in 2021, neohesperidine DC (E 959) in 2022, erythritol (E 968) in 2023, saccharins (E 954) in 2024, and acesulfame K (E 950) and neotame (E 961) in 2025.

What was EFSA asked to do?

The European Commission (EC)¹ established a programme to re-evaluate the safety of food additives that were approved in the EU before 20 January 2009. The current FAF Panel assessment of E 955 is part of this programme.
In addition, the FAF Panel was requested by the EC to evaluate the safety of a proposed extension of use of E 955 in fine bakery wares.

How did EFSA carry out this work?

The FAF Panel followed structured protocols based on criteria and methodologies previously established for the re-evaluation of sweeteners (EFSA, 2020a, 2020b; EFSA FAF Panel, 2023, 2024).
These protocols include identifying potential harmful effects (hazard identification), determining the minimum amount in the diet that could harm a healthy person (hazard characterisation) and assessing the level of exposure in the EU population.

What data were used?

The FAF Panel used the following data:

Studies on E 955 published between January 1999 and March 2025 identified from a literature review.
Data gathered from interested parties in response to EFSA calls for data and additional information requests.
Data submitted by an applicant proposing the extension of use of E 955 in fine bakery wares.

The data comprised technical data (including data on stability of sucralose), data on uses and use levels in food, evidence from toxicological studies in experimental animals (including genotoxicity studies) and epidemiological studies.

Relevant biological and toxicological data were integrated applying a weight of evidence approach.

What were the outcomes and their implications?

There is no need to change the previously established acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 15 mg/kg body weight per day of sucralose (E 955).
In the EU, the highest dietary exposure estimate of E 955 was below the ADI in all population groups, indicating no safety concern.
The overall dietary exposure did not increase substantially when considering the proposed extension of use in fine bakery wares.
However, the FAF Panel identified some uncertainties (see below), which meant that it could not confirm the safety of the proposed extension of use of E 955.

What were the uncertainties?

Uncertainty exists regarding the potential transfer of chlorine from sucralose to organic molecules under prolonged high-temperature conditions.
This uncertainty could not be dismissed in the evaluation of the proposed extension of use of E 955 in fine bakery wares, unless restrictions on baking temperature and time are applied.
The same uncertainty applies to the preparation of home-made foods where sucralose undergoes heating processes such as baking or frying.
These conditions are not expected to occur during the industrial processing of foods under the currently authorised uses of E 955.

What are the key recommendations?

According to the FAF Panel, and based on the data assessed, the EC should consider:

Including individual limits for chlorinated monosaccharide impurities in sucralose,
4-chlorogalactopyranose and 1,6-dichlorofructofuranose in the EU specifications for E 955.
Lowering the limit of lead in the EU specifications.
Including the CAS number 56038-13-2 in the EU specifications.

The FAF Panel also recommended the EC consider the potential formation of unwanted degradation products of sucralose during domestic uses that require high temperatures, such as frying or baking.

Disclaimer

This plain language summary (PLS) is a simplified version of EFSA’s Re-evaluation of sucralose (E 955) as a food additive and evaluation of a new application on extension of use of sucralose (E 955) in fine bakery wares. The full EFSA report can be found here.
The purpose of the PLS is to enhance transparency and inform interested parties on EFSA’s work on the topic using simplified language to present a summary of the main findings.

References

EFSA (European Food Safety Authority). (2020a). Outcome of the public consultation on a draft protocol for the assessment of hazard identification and characterisation of sweeteners. EFSA Supporting Publications,17(2), EN-1803. https://doi.org/10.2903/sp.efsa.2020.EN-1803

EFSA (European Food Safety Authority). (2020b.) Outcome of the public consultation on a draft protocol for assessing exposure to sweeteners as part of their safety assessment under the food additives re-evaluation programme. EFSA Supporting Publications, 17(8), EN-1913. https://doi.org/10.2903/sp.efsa.2020.EN-1913

EFSA FAF Panel (EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings). (2023). Revised protocol on hazard identification and characterisation of sweeteners. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7788968

EFSA FAF Panel (EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings). (2024.) Revised protocol for assessing exposure to sweeteners as part of their safety assessment under the food additives re-evaluation programme. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13912093

Re-evaluation of sucralose (E 955) as a food additive and evaluation of a new application on extension of use of sucralose (E 955) in fine bakery wares
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2026.9854

¹ Commission Regulation (EU) No 257/2010 of 25 March 2010 setting up a programme for the re-evaluation of approved food additives in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on food additives