In today’s 24/7 media environment, news and information on any topic is readily available to anyone with online access. Given the overwhelming amount of information about food and health available online, consumers often find it difficult to identify what is accurate and evidence based. Moreover, information about food ingredient safety can be difficult to evaluate especially given the delicate balance of benefit, risk, and health hazards. In the United States (US), safety assessments for ingredients, for example, are determined partly by the potential risk of an adverse health outcome and not solely by the hazard itself. In the European Union (EU), safety assessments focus primarily on the hazard. Therein lies the impact of varying global assessments and potential for conflicting public messaging about the safety of ingredients in our food supply. One example of this conundrum is the use of low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS). Sugar reduction is a top public health priority. LNCS and other sugar alternatives are approved ingredients that have been safely consumed for decades in beverages, foods, and tabletop packets by millions of consumers around the globe. Alternatives to sugar are being used more frequently by manufacturers to displace added sugars across the food supply, which has stirred debate over their expanding use and potential for increased consumption of sugar alternatives, especially among children. Despite decades of scientific reviews and regulatory approvals by global health authorities, some consumers remain skeptical about the perceived health risks of consuming LNCS and other ingredients. This presentation will highlight recent IFIC consumer research findings about the perceived healthfulness, safety, risks, and benefits of consuming LNCS and other approved food ingredients Speaker: Kris Sollid, RD