Officials reiterated Tuesday the warning against the use of artificial sweetener “magic sugar,” citing the product causes cancer in animals.

The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) began its investigation on the reported use of artificial sweetener or magic sugar by street vendors, while the City of Manila called on local traders and the public to be wary of using magic sugar on different thirst-quenching drinks as it could be very harmful to a person's health.

Inspectors have been dispatched to pose as buyers from street vendors Monday, FDA Director Nazarita Tacandong said.

She said FDA laboratory experts will test beverages bought from vendors to find out if they contain the so-called magic sugar or sodium cyclamate.

“We have not confiscated anything yet because we still have to test to prove they are using magic sugar,” Tacandong said.

She said the FDA has released a previous warning on the use of this artificial sweetener in 2000, and it reiterated its warning in August 2007.

Tacandong said it is the responsibility of the local government authorities to keep vendors against using the prohibited product. But she said the FDA has partnered with the LGUs in managing the problem.

“There is also an ongoing operation by the Bureau of Customs in prohibiting the importation of the magic sugar. But these are coming mostly from the backdoors like Zamboanga,” she added.

FDA, formerly known the Bureau of Food and Drugs, banned the use of magic sugar or neotogen in its advisory No. 00-05 in August 2000, citing the product’s evidence of carcinogenicity (causes cancer) in animals.

In Manila, City Administrator Jesus Marzan issued the warning against magic sugar after the Department of Health (DoH) considered the magic sugar as “dangerous” since the artificial substance was found to be cancerous. (With a report from Leonard D. Postrado)