E968 Sweetener

 E968 has had a history of safe use as a sweetener and flavor enhancer in food and beverage products and is approved for use by government regulatory agencies of more than 60 countries. Beverage categories for its use are coffee and tea, liquid dietary supplements, juice blends, soft drinks, and flavored water product variations, with foods including confections, biscuits and cookies, tabletop sweeteners, and sugar-free chewing gum.

E968 is absorbed rapidly into the blood, with peak amounts occurring in under two hours; the majority of an oral dose (80 to 90%) is excreted unchanged in the urine within 24 hours.

As a test of safety, scientists assessed doses for E968 where symptoms of a mild gastrointestinal upset occurred, such as nausea, excess flatus, abdominal bloating or pain, and stool frequency. At a content of 1.6% in beverages, it is not considered to have a laxative effect. The upper limit of tolerance was 0.78 and 0.71 grams per kg body weight in adults and children, respectively. For safe use in children, a scientific panel for the European Food Safety Authority recommended the upper limit content per food or beverage serving was 0.6 grams per kg body weight.