Thaumatin

Rating: Safe

Purpose / Use

Thaumatin, which is marketed under brand names such as Talin, consists of two plant proteins extracted from the katemfe fruit found in West Africa.¹ It is 2,000-3,000 times sweeter than sugar. Used as a sweetener and to modify flavor, thaumatin can enhance or mask sour and bitter tastes depending on the other ingredients present.² Thaumatin is sometimes described as having a "licorice-like" aftertaste.³

Products

Thaumatin can be found in a variety of foods including beverages, buns and prepared foods such as hot dogs and frozen meals.

Safety assessment

Evidence from food authorities such as WHO/JECFA⁴ and EFSA⁵ suggests that thaumatin is safe as a food additive. Food manufacturers have determined for themselves that thaumatin is "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) for use as a sweetener and a flavor modifier^2,6,7 and the FDA did not object¹—but remember a GRAS determination is not the same as getting formal FDA approval.

To learn more about the GRAS loophole and how it undercuts food safety and transparency, click here.

As with all non-nutritive and low-calorie sweeteners, CSPI recommends that children avoid thaumatin and calls for additional research on the long-term health effects in children, in line with similar recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Healthy Eating Research (HER). AAP’s and HER’s concerns are based on the lack of safety data on the consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners among children and the possibility that consumption of these types of sweeteners could lead to a preference for sweet foods and beverages among children.^8-10 The best choice for all consumers is to choose unsweetened foods and beverages whenever possible.

References

Food and Drug Administration. Aspartame and Other Sweeteners in Food. February 27, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/aspartame-and-other-sweeteners-food. Accessed July 24, 2025.
GRAS Notice (GRN) No. 738. Thaumatin. October 16, 2017. Available: https://www.fda.gov/media/124271/download
Zeece M (Ed.). Introduction to the Chemistry of Food. Chapter Six – Flavors. Academic Press. 2020: 213-25.
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. 605. Thaumatin (WHO Food Additives Series 20).1986. Available: https://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v20je15.htm. Accessed April 1, 2025.
Younes M, et al., Scientific Opinion on the Re-evaluation of Thaumatin (E 957) as Food Additive. EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavouring. EFSA Journal. 2021;19(11):6884. Available: https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.2903/j.efsa.2021.6884
GRAS Notice (GRN) No. 920. Thaumatin II. March 20, 2020. Available: https://www.fda.gov/media/140368/download
GRAS Notice (GRN) No. 910. Thaumatin II. February 3, 2020. Available: https://www.fda.gov/media/139609/download
Baker-Smith CM, et al. The Use of Nonnutritive Sweeteners in Children. Pediatrics. 2019;144(5). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31659005/. Accessed July 24, 2025.
Lott M, et al. Healthy Beverage Consumption in Early Childhood: Recommendations from Key National Health and Nutrition Organizations. Consensus Statement. Healthy Eating Research. September 2019. Available: https://healthyeatingresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/HER-HealthyBeverage-ConsensusStatement.pdf. Accessed July 24, 2025.
Lott M, et al. Healthy Beverage Consumption in School-Age Children and Adolescents: Recommendations from Key National Health and Nutrition Organizations. Consensus Statement. Healthy Eating Research. January 2025. Available: https://healthyeatingresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/HER_ConsensusStatement_FINAL.pdf. Accessed July 24, 2025.