Food: Cyclamates' Sour Aftertaste

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Fresh Doubts. The furor over cyclamates in the U.S. prompted Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Finland to ban the sweetener last week. The furor also raised fresh doubts about other food additives that are now listed by the FDA as "Generally Recognized As Safe," or GRAS in bureaucratese. The agency is now taking another look at the list, especially at monosodium glutamate (MSG), which has been found to cause brain damage in infant mice. Last week major manufacturers of baby food said that they will stop adding MSG. As if the diet-conscious American had not enough to worry about, the FDA also announced that it was again assessing the safety of saccharin.