Artificial sweeteners are low-calorie or calorie-free chemical substances used instead of sugar to sweeten foods and drinks.

They're found in thousands of products, from drinks, desserts and ready meals, to cakes, chewing gum and toothpaste.

Sweeteners approved for use in the UK include:

acesulfame K

aspartame

saccharin

sorbitol

sucralose

stevia

xylitol

Both Cancer Research UK and the US National Cancer Institute have said sweeteners do not cause cancer.

"Large studies looking at people have now provided strong evidence that artificial sweeteners are safe for humans," states Cancer Research UK.

All sweeteners in the EU undergo a rigorous safety assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) before they can be used in food and drink.

As part of the evaluation process, the EFSA sets an acceptable daily intake (ADI), which is the maximum amount considered safe to consume each day over the course of your lifetime.

You do not need to keep track of how much sweetener you consume each day, as our eating habits are factored in when specifying where sweeteners can be used.