As most public markets opt for cheaper substitutes to food commodities like sugar, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) warned of the possible health risks magic sugar may pose to people.

In a briefing, SRA Administrator Pablo Azcona explained how cheaper ingredients may not be safer, stating that “sugar concentrate, most probably artificial sugar [or sodium cyclamate] is 100 percent imported, and I do not exactly know who regulates this product.”

Azcona added that the SRA is unclear on which agencies are regulating this sugar substitute, especially now that many people are selling and consuming ice-cold drinks and refreshers to beat the heat.

“We have to find out if the chemical sweetener has contents of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)... Our number one concern here is the health of consumers and where this is coming from,” he said.

Furthermore, the SRA stated that magic sugar, which is commonly found in palamig, is potentially smuggled into the Philippines without going through a series of customs processes.

Artificial sweetener was initially banned from the country in 2000 as it posed health threats to the public, but has been lifted 13 years later by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).