Sweet news for Sweet’n Low

Calorie-counters rejoice! The Environmental Protection Agency has removed saccharin, an artificial sweetener commonly known as Sweet’n Low, from its list of hazardous substances, according to an EPA press release.

The white crystalline powder got a bad reputation in the 1980s, when it was labeled as a potential cancer-causing substance. That myth was debunked in the late-’90s, after the National Toxicology Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer could not find evidence that the chemical was a potential human carcinogen.

However, the EPA didn’t propose removing the chemical from its list of hazardous substances until April. The agency received no opposition, and in mid-December the chemical was formally removed.

Sweet’n Low is commonly found in coffee shops alongside sweeteners such as Equal and Splenda.