Artificial Sweetener Truvia is Toxic to Fruit Flies, But Not Humans

The artificial sweetener Truvia was found to be toxic for fruit flies, according to a recent study published in the journal PLOS One.

The sweetener's main ingredient, erythritol, was presented in several types of fruits to Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies, resulting in the insects' death.

The fruit flies that consumed Truvia had an average lifespan of just 5.8 days, while those who didn't eat it lived between 38.6 and 50.6 days.

"The more you get them [fruit flies] to consume erythritol, the faster they die," said Sean O'Donnell, a professor of biology at Drexel University in Philadelphia, via CBS News.

However, the sweetener, which was approved as a food additive in 2001 by the Food and Drug Administration, poses no danger to humans.

Researchers believe that in the future, the sweetener could even be used as an 'eco-friendly' insecticide that is non-toxic to humans.

"We are not going to see the planet sprayed with erythritol, and the chances for widespread crop application are slim," O'Donnell added, in a news release. "But on a small scale, in places where insects will come to a bait, consume it and die, this could be huge." 

However, researchers are still working to determine just how erythritol kills the flies. Yet they believe that the sweetener may inhibit the insect's ability to absorb nutrients as well as its mobility.

Reportedly, researchers are seeking to patent the erythritol-based insecticide idea.