In addition to their safety ratings, here is some more information for each sweetener listed above.

Sucralose - It will remain sweet when heated or baked. Negative internet hear say is not confirmed by reliable sources.

Neotame - It's not found in foods yet, but to date it has passed animal and human studies. It is considered safe for people with the rare disorder phenylketonuria (PKU). Like all new sweeteners, we will know more about possible side effects from it when we begin consuming it.

Sugar alcohols - Also know as sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, maltitol, lactitol, isomalt, erythritol, and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates. Beware that they can raise blood sugars; however, they do so more slowly. Foods with sugar alcohols cannot be eaten in unlimited amounts without causing weight gain. They should be eaten in moderation by the person with diabetes.

Tagatose - It is also known as Naturlose and is manufactured from milk sugar (lactose).

Aspartame - Some studies have shown it causes headaches. More independent tests are needed to confirm this. People with PKU (a rare genetic disease) should not have it. If you notice it effects you I feel you should avoid it. It loses its sweetness when heated and during baking.

Acesulfame - More tests are needed, but it's already in many diet soft drinks and frozen desserts. It's also found in some sugarless chewing gums, and diet syrups. Tumors (some non-cancerous and some cancerous) increased in rats fed acesulfame.

Stevia - Stevia is "natural" but not necessarily safe. It can be found in health food stores and some grocery stores. High doses of the active ingredient in stevia have been found to cause reproductive problems in some animal studies. Stevia is not regulated as well because it can only be sold as a supplement. Safety rules for supplements are less tight than they are for foods.

Saccharine - This one has been around for a while. It is the one in the pink packet that goes by the name Sweet 'N Low. It used to carry a warning label on it, but no longer has to due to lobbying from the diet-food industry. It is no longer in most canned diet sodas, but it can still be found in Tab and Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi from a fountain (restaurant style). < 16 ounces / day or < 6 pink packets / day are the maximum amounts suggested. According to the National Cancer Institute, amounts greater than this showed evidence of an increased risk of bladder cancer in the best human study of saccharin use ever done.

www.cspinet.org is the web site for the CSPI. They are a wealth of information. My advice - Use all artificial sweeteners sparingly, there is no need to eliminate them unless you have PKU (a rare genetic disorder) or you are one of the few who experience headaches or other symptoms from aspartame, or any other sweetener for that matter.