Cyclamate was synthesized in 1937 by a University of Illinois (U.S.) student by the name of Michael Sveda, who accidentally discovered its sweet taste. The patent for cyclamate was first purchased by Dupont and then later sold to Abbott Laboratories. The health care company's reported interest in those days was to use the product to mask the bitter taste of an antibiotic and a pentobarbital elixir. Abbott performed the necessary studies and submitted a New Drug Application for cyclamate in 1950. Cyclamate was initially marketed as tablets that were recommended for use as a tabletop artificial sweetener for diabetics and others who had to restrict their intake of sugar. In 1958, cyclamate was classified as GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) in the U.S.
In 1970, following the results of a controversial study in which rats given extremely high doses of cyclamate and other substances developed bladder tumors, cyclamate was banned in the United States from use in food, beverages and drugs. The rat study, however, has been criticized by a number of scientists, including the study director himself. In addition, dozens of subsequent studies on cyclamate determined it safe for human consumption. In 1984, for example, the Cancer Assessment Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded that cyclamate is not carcinogenic. This finding was confirmed in 1985 in an independent evaluation of the report by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. A number of agencies across the globe including the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization's Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) of the European Commission and food safety authorities in Mexico have also analyzed cyclamate and approved it for use in a wide range of food products and beverages. The Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for cyclamate has been set at 11 mg/kg body weight by JECFA and at 7 mg/kg body weight by the SCF.
Cancer Risk
Early studies in the 1970s linked the use of artificial sweeteners containing a mix of cyclamate and saccharin to an increased risk of bladder cancer in lab animals. Other early studies showed that bacteria in the intestines may convert cyclamate to cyclohexamine, a carcinogen. However, follow-up studies and use abroad has suggested that there is no evidence that cyclamate causes cancer or increases the risk of another substance causing cancer. Further research has demonstrated that cyclamate does not pose an increased risk of bladder cancer in humans, and that the mechanism appears to be distinct to rodents.
Other Risks
A study published in "Toxicological Sciences," found that cyclamate contributed to testicular atrophy and interrupted the maturation of sperm in a subset of monkeys fed cyclamate over a long period of time. However, the results were sporadic and do not demonstrate conclusive evidence of cyclamate's toxicity. Additionally, the levels fed to monkeys were 20 to 100 times higher than the acceptable daily intake of other artificial sweeteners.
Links: 1.
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/side-effects-sodium-cyclamate-1903.html2.
http://www.cyclamate.org/regulatorystatus.html
