Catherine Frompovich – Over the years we have seen all types of sugar substitutes and synthetics produced, and used, in the hopes of dealing with consumers’ sugar cravings while supposedly not increasing weight gain. However, there’s a “new kid” coming to the sugar neighborhood; it’s “allulose,” which will be marketed under the trade name DOLCIA PRIMA® Allulose. Another name for it is D-Psicose. The prime market is not “direct-to-consumers” but to food processors who will use it as an ingredient in all sorts of processed foods.

Readers are encouraged to read the “Application in Action” sheet  for DOLCIA PRIMA provided by the manufacturer Tate & Lyle, as it hopefully will be listed on every product ingredient label in which it is used.

According to Tate & Lyle’s Technical Data sheet, “the caloric value of pure allulose is 0.2 kcal/gram.”

Also, “Allulose meets the specification set forth in GRN 498 and is therefore generally recognized as safe (GRAS).” The syrup is about 54% as sweet as sucrose (table sugar), but is about 70% sweet as sugar in a dry solid basis.

As a natural nutritionist (retired) and consumer health researcher, I’m left wondering about this statement made by Tate & Lyle:

Allergens – Allulose syrup does not contain any commonly known sources of allergens. Labeling is not required under the FDA Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004.

What! and why the exemption from Food Allergen Labeling?

Considering that allulose is made from the starch of corn fructose that has undergone an enzymatic conversion process – is that by a genetic modification process? – studies indicate it passes through the intestinal tract undigested! That’s where some red flags start flying for me, and I’ll explain why.

Red Flag No. 1

Since allulose can be sold by the train-tanker-bulk-loads, it’s destined to become part of the food processing industry. Vast quantities will be produced using “starch of corn fructose.” Corn fructose syrup has known adverse health effects [1,2,3].

Red Flag No. 2

In the USA, corn has been modified to be resistant to herbicides and insects. Herbicide-tolerant (HT) corn crops made up 89% of the corn acreage in 2014 and 2015, whereas insect-tolerant (Bt) corn acreage totaled 81% in 2015. [4] The likelihood of genetically-modified corn starch being used as the major “raw product” to create allulose seems to be overwhelmingly predominant. That, in itself, is reason for concern since so many individuals realize they cannot handle GM ‘phoods’, especially children on the Autism Spectrum.

Red Flag No. 3

If the FDA will not mandate food labeling for allulose regarding allergies, then that obviously presents a potentially grave health concern for many eaters who have allergic reactions, even to corn per se and GMOs, in particular.

Technically and overall, between 1 and 2% of the general population, as a whole, are allergic to something, and that can include corn and GMOs.

Statistically, 4% of adults in the USA have food allergies, while 8% of U.S. children have food allergies. [5]

Red Flag No. 4

The impact of undigested, enzymatically-converted starch of corn fructose on the microbiome (gut bacteria) in the human intestinal tract may be more involved negatively than anyone knows at present. Have there been sufficient and correct scientific studies done to establish how the human gut handles such a newly-engineered food product, since we know that many other modified sugars can cause digestive and gut problems? Furthermore, food is information for human genes, so what will this new sugar be telling our genes?

Red Flag No. 5

Is there an epigenetic effect from this new formulation of a non-digestible sugar? Where are the studies?

Red Flag No. 6

Will there be any residual herbicides, especially glyphosate and glufosinate [6], in allulose?

For those who need more information regarding the effects of sugars of any type on the human microbiome, I refer readers to “Sugar Substitutes, Gut Bacteria, and Glucose Intolerance.”

References

[1] http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2015/04/avoid-the-hidden-dangers-of-high-fructose-corn-syrup-video/
[2] http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2008/12/Metabolic-Dangers-of-High-Fructose-Corn-Syrup/Page-01
[3] http://www.mercola.com/ebook/high-fructose-corn-syrup.aspx
[4] http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/adoption-of-genetically-engineered-crops-in-the-us/recent-trends-in-ge-adoption.aspx
[5] https://www.foodallergy.org/document.doc?id=194
[6] http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/agri_biotechnology/breeding_aims/146.herbicide_resistant_crops.htmlResources:

Study on genetically modified corn, herbicide and tumors reignites controversy
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/study-on-genetically-modified-corn-herbicide-and-tumors-reignites-controversy/

What does Chipotle’s switch to non-gmo ingredients mean for pesticide use?
http://weedcontrolfreaks.com/2015/05/what-does-chipotles-switch-to-non-gmo-ingredients-mean-for-pesticide-use/

Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v514/n7521/full/nature13793.html

J. Suez et al., “Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota,” Nature, doi:10.1038/nature13793, 2014.