Unregulated chemical 13,000 times sweeter than sugar is used in most e-cigarettes: study

A little-known artificial sweetener that’s up to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar is now used in most popular flavored e-cigarettes — even though it is not listed on labels and is only FDA-approved for food, a new study found.Neotame was detected in 57 of 73 flavored vaping products often marketed to kids and teens and had an average content nearly five times higher than in a mint candy, a study conducted by researchers from Yale School of Medicine and Duke University found.Little is known about the health effects of inhaling the potent, no-calorie alternative, which was created by NutraSweet and is also known as Newtame, and current regulations do not limit its use, according to the June 2 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.The researchers set out to prove, mainly to regulators and clinicians, how commonly the chemical, which is also up to 65 times sweeter than aspartame, is being used in newer products, they said.All popular disposable e-cigs introduced after 2021 that haven’t yet received U.S.Food and Drug Administration marketing authorization — 27 devices across 11 different brands — contained neotame, according to the study.Among them were vapes from brands like Breeze Smoke, Elf Bar and Vapetasia, which offer flavors like Strawberry Apple, Killer Kustard and Blue Razz Ice.Products from three brands — Vuse and NJOY, which are FDA-approved, and JUUL, which is awaiting approval — that were introduced before 2021 do not contain it, the study found.The substance was likely chosen for its heat stability compared to other sweeteners, but its behavior when heated and vaporized in e-cigarettes is unknown, the scientists wrote in their findings.“There are two specific concerns about the finding: How does it affect the potential for addiction to the product, and what are the product’s adverse health effects when inhaled?” said Hanno Erythropel, the paper’s lead author.“Eating versus inhaling something is very diffe...