What is Sucralose (E955)?
Last updated on: 12/27/2025
Sources: WHO, US-FDA, EFSA, FSSAI.
7
/10
Moderate Concern
Generally safe within established ADI. Long-term usage evaluations are ongoing.
CTL SAFETY SCORE
A higher score reflects higher confidence in safety; it is based on regulatory approvals, intake limits, and individual sensitivities data.
Sucralose is a non-nutritive, high-intensity artificial sweetener authorized for use as a food additive. Commonly known to be 600 times sweeter than sugar and found in diet and zero-sugar drinks, low-calorie desserts, etc. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is doing a reevaluation under the EU reevaluation program for food additives.
Safety Summary
-
Sucralose is an approved artificial sweetener with an established average daily intake (ADI)
- There are no sensitive groups identified by EFSA under dietary exposure.
-
Regulatory re-evaluation is ongoing by the European food safety authority EFSA.
-
Moderate concern reflects caution; even though it’s debated for long-term usage side effects, there is no proven harm when consumed within ADI limits.
Who should be cautious?
None identified by EFSA under dietary exposure
Quick Facts
|
E-Number : |
E955 |
|
INS Number : |
INS-955 |
|
Category : |
Sweetener |
|
Sub-category : |
Flavour Enhancer |
|
Origin : |
Synthetic |
|
Used In : |
Food |
|
Alternative Names : |
955, Trichlorogalactosucrose |
|
Similar Ingredients : |
Common Products
Sucralose (E955) is commonly used in low-sugar and sugar-free products because it’s very sweet and heat-stable. You’ll commonly find it in:
- Diet drinks
- Syrups (e.g. xylose, maple syrup, sugar toppings),
- Cold drinks
- Candies
- Food supplements
- Jams, jellies
- Frozen foods
- Baked goods etc.
Example of how this ingredient may appear on food labels. Label formats vary by product and country:
Image source: reader submissions
Regulatory Approval.
1. Food and drug administration (fDA – USA)
Status |
Usage Limit |
|---|---|
|
Approved (GRAS under Good Manufacturing Practice) |
Used in food consistent with Good Manufacturing Practice; no specific numerical limit beyond GMP. |
2. European Food Safety authority (eFSA)
Status |
Usage Limit |
|---|---|
|
Approved |
Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI): from prior EU scientific evaluations (SCF): 15 mg/kg body weight/day noted in the 2016 EFSA Journal opinion. |
3. Food safety and standardization authority India (FSSAI)
Status |
Usage Limit |
|---|---|
|
Approved (subject to specified maximum levels in food categories) |
Permitted in defined food categories; category-wise maximum use levels (mg/kg or mg/L) listed in FSSAI schedules (aligned with Codex/Food Regulation limits) |
Health concerns
- The 2016 EFSA Journal opinion on extending sucralose use refers to previously established safety data and notes the ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake) set by the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) as 15 mg/kg body weight/day without indicating new hazards.
- Some studies suggest sucralose may influence glucose metabolism, gut hormone responses, and gut microbiota composition, particularly at higher or long-term intakes. The review notes these findings are based largely on experimental and observational data and do not establish proven harm at typical dietary exposure levels but indicate areas where further research is needed.
Conclusions
Sucralose is a very commonly used artificial sweetener and does not raise safety concerns for the general population when used as authorized and within approved use levels, while moderate consumption is considered a good approach.