The science behind sweeteners (and why they're fine).
Drinks need sugar or sweetener because, without it, they’d taste like sadness.
Incrediballs are actually too small to contain enough sugar to even taste it, so we use a few different sweeteners instead.
We offer different types because taste is personal, and everyone has their own preferences so we'll be introducing more options over time, but for this first launch in just a few weeks' time, we are using sucralose and stevia.
Don't panic though - our testers are adamant there is no weird bitter aftertaste.
Pear & Grapefruit are with stevia, Cola & Orange are with sucralose.
More on stevia in another blog, for now let's chat sucralose.
We chose sucralose because it's the best way to get that full-fat, sugary delicious taste for things like cola (sorry, stevia you just can't quite do it).
But we did know that this would put some people off. And fair enough.
Because there’s a lot of fear mongering, misinformation, and panic-inducing headlines out there about it... which is odd when scientists repeatedly prove it's harmless. So, what does the actual science say?
And just to be clear, we don’t put anything in our drinks without doing our homework (and a lot of it). Our founder is an actual scientist, and we (with our manufacturers - also scientists) take safety and quality extremely seriously.
What Is Sucralose?
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener that’s about 600 times sweeter than sugar but has zero calories because the body doesn’t metabolise it for energy.
It’s made by modifying sucrose (which is just sugar) through a process that replaces three hydroxyl (-OH) groups with chlorine atoms. Now before you panic at the idea of chlorine atoms, do you know what else has those? Table salt.
This tweak makes sucralose sweet like sugar but undigestible, so it passes through the body without affecting blood sugar levels. You rapidly excrete about 85% of sucralose.
It’s also pH-stable, making it ideal for acidic drinks like sodas, and is commonly found in soft drinks, flavoured water, protein powders, and sugar-free foods.
It also doesn't have that weird bitter aftertaste that some sweeteners have - you know the one I mean - that weird metallic-y or chemical-y finish. Our drinks don't have that.
Sucralose has been extensively studied for decades, with thousands of studies and sure, it's not perfect, but the key with everything is the magical phrase... 'the dose makes the poison'.
Sucralose is approved in over 100 countries, has been used since the late 1990s. It's been approved by:
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
World Health Organization (WHO) - just to name a few.
These organisations have all reviewed the research and set an acceptable daily intake of 5 mg per kg of body weight - which is way more than you’d ever realistically consume from drinks alone. And it's important to note this is a safety threshold, meaning you could consume this amount every day for a lifetime without expected adverse effects. The ADI represents an amount 100 times less than the quantity of sucralose found to achieve a no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) in toxicology studies.
If you weighed 70kg, you'd have to drink about 9 cans of a diet soft drink every day to hit this level. Most people drink nowhere near that much in a day (unless you’re in some kind of extreme soft drink marathon, in which case, we have questions).
Again, dose makes the poison.
“But I heard sucralose is bad for you?”
Understood. There is a lot of that going around at the moment. So, let's look at some of the more common concerns.
1. “Sucralose messes with your gut microbiome.”
In normal amounts, sucralose doesn’t appear to have significant or lasting impact on gut bacteria. Some studies have looked at extremely high doses (we’re talking amounts way beyond what’s in any food or drink), but even then, the effects were minimal and most importantly - temporary. A lot of the food we consume effects our microbiome (as you'd expect). Eat more fibre!
Unless you’re chugging industrial-strength sucralose by the gallon, you’re fine. As always, the devil is in the dosage. Even water can kill you if you drink too much of it.
2. “Sucralose raises blood sugar.”
Actually, no - at least, not for most people. Studies show that sucralose doesn’t spike blood sugar or insulin levels in healthy people. However, some research suggests that in certain groups - like people with severe obesity who don’t regularly consume artificial sweeteners - there might be a small effect. So that is worth paying attention to if you fall in that category. But for the vast majority, sucralose is a solid alternative for cutting sugar without messing with blood glucose.
3. “Sucralose turns toxic when heated.”
This claim started from a study showing that sucralose can break down at extremely high temperatures (we’re talking over 98°C). Later studies clarified that this only happens in extreme conditions, not in normal cooking or baking. Regulators have reviewed the evidence and still say sucralose is safe for everyday use.
And either way, unless you were planning to fry your Incrediballs in a pan (which, please don’t), this is a total non-issue.
4. "Sucralose causes cancer."
Not according to a meta-analysis of the many studies so far (in the sources below).
The Bottom Line
We wouldn't (and legally can't, even if we were super villains) put anything in our drinks that isn’t safe.
But the key is we keep abreast of all new research out there to ensure that nothing comes up that may cause concern.
Sucralose is one of the most researched sweeteners out there. The bulk of evidence supports its safety when consumed within normal limits.
If you’re still not keen, that's totally fine! That's why we have stevia-based options, and we're exploring some new options in our next range...
Expect more posts soon breaking down all the science behind Incrediballs.
Got thoughts? Questions? Wild opinions on sweeteners? Send them through.
Sources & Further Reading
Critical safety review: ScienceDirect
Gut health: PubMed
Effect on glucose metabolism: PubMed
Review on non-carcinogenicity: PubMed
Glycemic & endocrine response review: PubMed
Metabolism effects meta-analysis: ScienceDirect
Study on potential chlorination byproducts: PubMed
General rundown: Food Insight