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Residents File Suit Against Splenda®

Residents file suit against Splenda®: McIntosh residents complain of excessive noise, noxious odor from plant
June 21, 2006
By ANDY NETZEL

Mobile Register

Twenty-nine Washington County residents who live near the Tate & Lyle sucralose plant in McIntosh have filed a lawsuit against the company, claiming the maker of the main ingredient in the popular sweetener Splenda has hurt their property values and lowered their quality of life.

The suit, filed this month in federal court, complains of excessive noise, noxious odor and also claims trespassing on private property by the company.

Ferne Hudson, spokeswoman for London-based Tate & Lyle, said the company will not comment on pending legal matters.

Lawyer Herndon Inge, a Mobile attorney who is representing those who live in nine homes that are all within eyeshot of the plant, said his clients are also experiencing medical problems. He said the symptoms are similar to those associated with exposure to phosgene gas, which he said he believes is used inside the plant in the production of the sweetener. The company, in the past, has not answered questions about the details of its patented production process.

"It is causing health problems, upper respiratory problems, watering eyes and other irritations," he said.

The odor the residents are complaining of -- said to resemble that of freshly cut hay -- may be from the same source, Inge said.

Inge said some of his clients are experiencing several of the symptoms associated with phosgene gas exposure; however, a quick Web search shows these symptoms also can be attributed to other sources.

Little is on the public record from either side because the case is so recently filed. Inge said proof to his claims would be forthcoming as the case progresses.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, phosgene is a poisonous gas at room temperature, or about 70 degrees.

The CDC also notes that phosgene was used extensively during World War I as a choking agent. The CDC also says that it is now commonly used in industry to produce chemicals.

"Most people who recover after an exposure to phosgene make a complete recovery," according to the CDC Web site. "However, chronic bronchitis and emphysema have been reported as a result of phosgene exposure."

In the lawsuit, the residents ask the company to stop all operations until a list of complaints is addressed. They also ask for cash damages and legal fees.

"They're making a whole bunch of money out there, and they're ignoring the rights of property owners," Inge said.

The plant in McIntosh is the sole North American source of the artificial sweetener marketed under the brand name Splenda. The plant, which employs 160 workers, recently completed a $75 million expansion that began in 2004 designed to double its production capacity.

Readers may purchase this article, in its entirety, from MobilRegister.com .

Posted on July 12, 2006 in Splenda in the news | Link To This Entry | Comments (10)

Comments

Posted by: Anonymous on July 14, 2006 5:44 PM

Thank for your research; please keep helping people in maintaining or recovering good health..

People deserve to see and hear it in the media also because it causes faster awareness..

 

Posted by: Debby McEwen on July 22, 2006 12:51 PM

I have been useing splena in my cerial, coffee , since it came out. Then about 4 month's ago I was eating my dinner and I got severe gas pain in my stomach, It kept happening every time I ate. And what I read about the respiratory problems, watering eyes &other irratations,That was so strange to read that because I would get out of bed and then go back to bed and it never happened before, My breathing felt not right. and my eyes allways tear,because I have sinus problems,Well did my sinus problems start when I started splenda, possability, I cannot remember, But my stomach bloots like I'm pregnant and I had every test,nothing wrong, next colon ascopy, no stomach med. worked. The only thing that took away my stomach pain was darvacet. If this is splenda causing all of my problem's they can have all my medical bill's from this. I'm so swammped in them,I quite splenda about allmost 2 months, nomore blooting, but my stomach still is not right. The med. doctors call it, IBS, and the Gastro. say's he does not feel anything is wrong with my stomach. Why does it hurt? Why do I get blooting? Why is my breathing not right? since I quite splenda ,My breathing has not done what it was doing,and I'm not getting blooting, And When it ,the pressure was coming up my throught, I had so much presser, I could bareley talk. I would not talk at times. I would not talk on my phone,I would not even answer my phone. I really would like to know if other people had my symptomes?????????? If anyone knows, please email me, Thanks,Debby

 

Posted by: amy on July 27, 2006 11:06 PM

I have been to so many nj and pa hospitals with stomach problems, and each time i was told there is nothing found causing the discomfort. i tried eliminating things one by one, and really believed that food color was a major contributor to my pain, until reading everyones accounts on splenda. it was like reading a narrative i wrote about my symptoms, reactions and recovery time and other effects associated with initial pain. i have the pregnant stomach look, intense pain after eating, nasal congestion, feeling of constant hunger as my food doesnt digest but lays in my stomach, bowel problems for 2 years now, excessive weight gain, vision decreasing, teeth weakened, cant sneeze or smell things without bothering my nose, loss of respiratory stamina, more frequent headaches and extreme joint pain and no skin elasticity in the colder months. im always tired, get tunnel vision when driving, and drinling coffee with splenda would make me so exhausted, i would need to pull over and take a nap every 30 min, but would wake up in a sweat feeling less anxiety or discomfort. i cant eat with friends in public, and drinking large amounts of anything brought on stomach distension.

is there any medical professional that feels splenda is the cause of our pain?

amy

 

Posted by: Lexi on July 29, 2006 12:37 PM

I just found that SUCRALOSE (Splenda) is being hidden in non-dietary products which contain sugar or corn syrup already.

PLEASE READ YOUR FOOD LABELS CAREFULLY!!! These labels may not state that the product is "diet", but the product may still contain sucralose even so.

If you don't believe me, look at the "regular" (non-diet) V-8 Splash and non-diet V-8 Splash Smoothie labels. Neither are marked as "diet", and the V-8 Splash label specifies high fructose corn syrup at the top of the ingredients list (which is so small you can barely see it), yet this ingredients list ends with SUCRALOSE.

I just discovered this today because the juice tasted very sweet and left a sickeningly sweet taste in my mouth -- here it is 4 hours later and I can still taste it, and it's nauseating.

I dumped the juice (8 bottles) down the drain.

I'm a little angered by this, I didn't think that non-diet products would contain sucralose, and while the Smoothies label indicates 1/3 less sugar, the V-8 Splash label indicates nothing of the sort whatsoever.

Also, I read on the FDA site that product labels do not have to warn people that their products contain sucralose, either.

 

Posted by: Donna Lj on August 10, 2006 7:59 AM

Just wanted to comment on this product..Splenda had me sick, stiff, terrible gas, and aching until I quit using it March 29, 2006. I was putting this in my tea and coffee. In addition, drinking "Crystal Light " , a popular alternative to regular soda. My Senior Manager told me that such products are toxic. Well, he was correct. I stopped the Splenda and my stomach gas and pains left. My knee quit hurting after being in pain for three years. I had gone to three doctors and no one could understand why I was in so much pain. I was told that I just had Arhritis and that was not severe. They told me to take Alieve and call it a day. Now, I don't take any product for pain.

I am now "pain free".

A Memphis believer!

 

Posted by: Kathryn on August 13, 2006 4:36 AM

I came across this page through an e-mail sent to me quite some time ago, and just opened it today. I sat and read everything and I could not believe what was before my eyes. Now, please bare with me, for this might be a bit long, but I have so much to tell, and this has to get out to everyone everywhere.

Two years ago I got so sick with diarrhea. I literaly thought I was going to die. I could not eat anything. Nothing, absolutly nothing, stayed in my body. I was dropping weight continuously week after week for three months. I was bones, and I am a small woman to begin with. I went to my doctor week after week. Tried tons of prescriptions, fiber, you name it, I tried it. Nothing worked.

I was sent to a Gastroentologist specialist for this. Nothing. No one could figure out what was going on. I was scared to death. Then a few months later the diarrhea went away. Over the last two years I have not felt sick so to say, but not well either. I have been going to the doctor every month with more to tell every time. Everything I read today...I can't begin to tell you, threw me for a loop. Every symptom described by each person I have, and some not mentioned. Each symptom appearing gradually over time. I have been consuming Splenda for two years through bottled waters such as Fruit 2o, yogurts, ice cream, you name it;if it had it in it i bought it cuz i thought it was so healthy for you.

My face is scarred from massive acne that itched so bad i scratched until my face bled. I have been on Tetracycline for it for almost a year. It has helped a bit, but I still have it pretty bad. Stomach pain of every sort to the point of bringing me to tears all night. Fatigue and exhaustion that is absolutly unexplainable. Weak. Unable to sleep and have been having to take Nyquil every night just to get sleep. Gas, joint pain, muscle pain, heavy sweats while sleeping and that just started about a month ago. Nauceous beyond belief to the point I once again cannot eat much. I'm jittery, irritable, tense, aggitated constantly. Im on Xanax too. Rib pain, breast bone pain, and recently coughing up balls of phlem. I also got dry eye somewhere in the middle of all of this.

Now I'm thinking, it is because of this. All of these things, I think now is because of this. Splenda...the product we all thought was so wonderful. I go to the Doctor in a month. I as of today threw away everything I could find that had Splenda in it. I want to see in this next month if symptoms start to fade. If so, I will talk to my doctor about this. I will also file a law suit. This is OUTRAGEOUS!!!!!!! I am so angry yet so relieved in a way that this might be what has been wrong with me for the last two years, and I can finally maybe start feeling the way I once did. I can't believe I have been consuming poison. I am telling everyone I know. I have already started. I must end for now, because the more I write the angrier I am becoming. Just glad I took the time to read all about this. I hope I finally start feeling like me again.

 

Posted by: Adisharr on August 21, 2006 9:33 AM

After reading all of this I think I'm going to try a natural sweetner. My wife can't tolerate sugar since her hastric bypass unfortunately.

 

Posted by: Brenda McDowell on September 27, 2006 10:06 PM

The sucralose I obtained by adding a GNC product Protein 95 has caused me to be irritable, aggressive, bouts of depression, confusion, loss of memory, and I'm still not sure what all. I quit the product and feel better. I'm still observing myself for the next 60 days to see how much better I will feel. Thanks to biology class, I had to do an assignment and am free of these chemical toxins.

 

Posted by: cheri on October 13, 2006 6:10 PM

I have had problems off and on with my skin itching and my lips burning.
Yesterday ,I had a bowl of ice cream sweeten with splenda and with in a very few minutes realized that my lips and mouth were burning.
Now I am going to check labels on everything I eat to make sure it doesn't have any splenda.

 

Posted by: Kelly on November 16, 2006 3:55 PM

One day while sitting in class I started choking for no reason at all. I had been drinking my splenda diet coke, but was not at the time of the choking. It got so bad I had to leave the classroom. At this point I could not breathe for a few seconds. Then I started coughing again and started breathing but it was very difficult. The rest of the day I felt like I had something in my thoart. The choking continue happening and over the next few weeks. I went to the doctor and he sent me to a Gastroentologist. They ran all these test and found nothing. My husband had read something about splenda and choking, so he told me to stop using it. I have not had anymore occurences since I stop, until the other day when I got a light coffee and it happen again. Today I was getting coffee and I over heard the lady tell someone the light coffee had splenda in it so I cancel my order and got a regular one instead.

 

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