It was just announced today that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided to take saccharin, an artificial sweetener found in diet drinks and gum, off the list of potentially hazardous substances. It kind of bugs me that the apparent reason the EPA finally made this announcement had more to do with the Calorie Control Council being up its ass with a microscope and less because of new evidence to back up the findings of a 1980s study that ruled the substance safe for use. I think this interesting but something to be taken with a grain of salt—or you know, whatever does it for you. It’s also worth noting that this doesn’t mean the EPA is saying people should eat Saccharin, it’s more than manufacturers and food companies don’t have to be as cautious in handling/disposal of it.