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E952 Cyclamate

E952SweetenersOrigin: Lab-made
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The short answer
Cyclamate (E952) is a zero-calorie sweetener banned in US food since 1969 and still used in Europe and as a Canadian tabletop sweetener. The ban followed bladder-tumor studies in rats that later reviews judged not to apply cleanly to people.
Best to avoid

Controversial, restricted or banned somewhere.

E-numberE952
Comes fromLab-made
What it doesSweeteners
Glycemic index—
Daily limit7 mg/kg
Also calledCyclamate, Sodium cyclamate

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDABanned
🇪🇺 European UnionApproved with limits
🇨🇦 Health CanadaApproved with limits
CaliforniaNo extra rules

The FDA banned cyclamate in 1969 and has not brought it back. The EU allows it with a daily limit of 7 mg per kg of body weight. Canada permits it as a tabletop sweetener, not as a general soft-drink ingredient.

How much is too much? (Acceptable Daily Intake)

490 mgper day is the safe upper limit

Based on 7 mg per kg of body weight (EFSA / JECFA). A 20 kg (44 lb) child: 140 mg a day.

What is it?

Cyclamate is about 30 times sweeter than sugar and is often paired with saccharin. It was a workhorse diet sweetener in the US until the FDA pulled it. Travelers still meet it in imported drinks and tablet sweeteners.

Where it comes from: Cyclamate is a synthetic sulfamate sweetener. Sodium cyclamate is the form most often dissolved into drinks and tabletop powders.

Why it’s in food

  • Sweetens tabletop tablets
  • Sweetens imported drinks
  • Pairs with saccharin
  • Replaces sugar in preserves

Often found in

Tabletop sweetenersImported soft drinksFruit preservesYogurt drinksDiet cordials

Also listed as: Cyclamate, Sodium cyclamate, Calcium cyclamate, Cyclamic acid

Health & gut impact

US banConcern

The FDA removed cyclamate in 1969 after high-dose rat studies found bladder tumors. Later reviews disagreed about what those studies meant for people, and the US ban remains.

FDA cyclamate ban (1969)

EU limitUnder study

EFSA's predecessor kept cyclamate with a daily limit of 7 mg per kg of body weight, lower than for several other sweeteners.

SCF opinion on cyclamic acid (2000)

Sweeteners the US still allows

For your pantry
Pantry staple

Stevia extract

A plant sweetener with a US approval.

Shop stevia Opens your country’s Amazon store
Pantry staple

Monk fruit extract

A fruit extract used in tabletop blends.

Shop monk fruit Opens your country’s Amazon store
Pantry staple

Allulose

A rare sugar, not a cyclamate.

Shop allulose Opens your country’s Amazon store

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What can I use instead?

Stevia

Ratio: To taste

Best for: Drinks

Monk fruit

Ratio: To taste

Best for: Drinks and yogurt

Related

More sweeteners:

Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K) E950Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K, E950) is a zero-calorie sweetener approved in the US, EU and Canada. EFSA re-checked it in 2025 and raised its daily limit. It's usually paired with sucralose or aspartame to hide a slightly bitter aftertaste.Use in moderationAdvantame E969Advantame (E969) is an extremely intense sweetener related to aspartame. Regulators approve it, and the amount in a food is tiny next to the daily limit. It does not carry aspartame's phenylalanine warning at normal use.Generally safeAlluloseAllulose is a "rare sugar" that tastes like sugar but has almost no calories and doesn't raise blood sugar. It's keto-friendly and browns like real sugar in baking.Generally safeAspartame E951Aspartame (E951) is a zero-calorie sweetener in diet soda. It's approved, but WHO's cancer agency called it "possibly carcinogenic" in 2023, and people with PKU must avoid it.Use in moderation

Common questions

Why is cyclamate in European soda but not American soda?

The FDA ban from 1969 is still in force. The EU authorizes cyclamate under a daily limit, so imported or European drinks can contain it.

Is Cyclamate safe?

Best to avoid (36/100). The FDA banned cyclamate in 1969 and has not brought it back. The EU allows it with a daily limit of 7 mg per kg of body weight. Canada permits it as a tabletop sweetener, not as a general soft-drink ingredient.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • EFSA OpenFoodTox: E952
  • FDA cyclamate ban (1969)
  • SCF opinion on cyclamic acid (2000)

INS 952 · CAS 139-05-9