A sugar substitute is a food additive that provides a sweetness like that of sugar while containing significantly less food energy than sugar-based sweeteners, making it a zero-calorie (non-nutritive) [2] or low-calorie sweetener. Artificial sweeteners may be derived through manufacturing of plant extracts or processed by chemical synthesis. Sugar substitute products are commercially available in various forms, such as small pills, powders, and packets.
Common sugar substitutes include aspartame, monk fruit extract, saccharin, sucralose, stevia, acesulfame potassium (ace-K), and cyclamate. These sweeteners are a fundamental ingredient in diet drinks to sweeten them without adding calories. Additionally, sugar alcohols such as erythritol, xylitol, and sorbitol are derived from sugars.
No links have been found between approved artificial sweeteners and cancer in humans. Reviews and dietetic professionals have concluded that moderate use of non-nutritive sweeteners as a safe replacement for sugars can help limit energy intake and assist with managing blood glucose and weight.
A sugar substitute is a food additive that provides a sweetness like that of sugar while containing significantly less food energy than sugar-based sweeteners, making it a zero-calorie (non-nutritive) [2] or low-calorie sweetener. Sugar substitute products are commercially available in various forms, such as small pills, powders, and packets.
This section needs additional citations for verification .(January 2018) |
Artificial sweeteners may be derived through manufacturing of plant extracts or processed by chemical synthesis.
High-intensity sweeteners – one type of sugar substitute – are compounds with many times the sweetness of sucrose (common table sugar). As a result, much less sweetener is required and energy contribution is often negligible. The sensation of sweetness caused by these compounds is sometimes notably different from sucrose, so they are often used in complex mixtures that achieve the most intense sweet sensation.
In North America, common sugar substitutes include aspartame, monk fruit extract, saccharin, sucralose, and stevia. Cyclamate is prohibited from being used as a sweetener within the United States, but is allowed in other parts of the world. [3]
Sorbitol, xylitol and lactitol are examples of sugar alcohols (also known as polyols). These are, in general, less sweet than sucrose but have similar bulk properties and can be used in a wide range of food products. Sometimes the sweetness profile is fine-tuned by mixing with high-intensity sweeteners.
Allulose is a sweetener in the sugar family, with a chemical structure similar to fructose. It is naturally found in figs, maple syrup, and some fruit. While it comes from the same family as other sugars, it does not substantially metabolize as sugar in the body. [4] The FDA recognizes that allulose does not act like sugar, and as of 2019, no longer requires it to be listed with sugars on U.S. nutrition labels. [5] Allulose is about 70% as sweet as sugar, which is why it is sometimes combined with high-intensity sweeteners to make sugar substitutes. [6]
Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K) is 200 times sweeter than sucrose (common sugar), as sweet as aspartame, about two-thirds as sweet as saccharin, and one-third as sweet as sucralose. Like saccharin, it has a slightly bitter aftertaste, especially at high concentrations. Kraft Foods has patented the use of sodium ferulate to mask acesulfame's aftertaste. Acesulfame potassium is often blended with other sweeteners (usually aspartame or sucralose), which give a more sucrose-like taste, whereby each sweetener masks the other's aftertaste and also exhibits a synergistic effect in which the blend is sweeter than its components.
Unlike aspartame, acesulfame potassium is stable under heat, even under moderately acidic or basic conditions, allowing it to be used as a food additive in baking or in products that require a long shelf life. In carbonated drinks, it is almost always used in conjunction with another sweetener, such as aspartame or sucralose. It is also used as a sweetener in protein shakes and pharmaceutical products, especially chewable and liquid medications, where it can make the active ingredients more palatable.
Aspartame was discovered in 1965 by James M. Schlatter at the G.D. Searle company. He was working on an anti-ulcer drug and accidentally spilled some aspartame on his hand. When he licked his finger, he noticed that it had a sweet taste. Torunn Atteraas Garin oversaw the development of aspartame as an artificial sweetener. It is an odorless, white crystalline powder that is derived from the two amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine. It is about 180–200 times sweeter than sugar, [7] [8] and can be used as a tabletop sweetener or in frozen desserts, gelatins, beverages, and chewing gum. When cooked or stored at high temperatures, aspartame breaks down into its constituent amino acids. This makes aspartame undesirable as a baking sweetener. It is more stable in somewhat acidic conditions, such as in soft drinks. Though it does not have a bitter aftertaste like saccharin, it may not taste exactly like sugar. When eaten, aspartame is metabolized into its original amino acids. Because it is so intensely sweet, relatively little of it is needed to sweeten a food product, and is thus useful for reducing the number of calories in a product.
The safety of aspartame has been studied extensively since its discovery with research that includes animal studies, clinical and epidemiological research, and postmarketing surveillance, [9] with aspartame being a rigorously tested food ingredient. [10] Although aspartame has been subject to claims against its safety, [11] multiple authoritative reviews have found it to be safe for consumption at typical levels used in food manufacturing. [9] [11] [12] [13] Aspartame has been deemed safe for human consumption by over 100 regulatory agencies in their respective countries, [13] including the UK Food Standards Agency, [7] the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), [8] and Health Canada. [14]
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of cyclamate in 1969 after lab tests in rats involving a 10:1 mixture of cyclamate and saccharin (at levels comparable to humans ingesting 550 cans of diet soda per day) caused bladder cancer. [15] This information, however, is regarded as "weak" evidence of carcinogenic activity, [16] and cyclamate remains in common use in many parts of the world, including Canada, the European Union and Russia. [17] [18]
Mogrosides, extracted from monk fruit (which is commonly also called luǒ hán guò), are recognized as safe for human consumption and are used in commercial products worldwide. [19] [20] As of 2017, it is not a permitted sweetener in the European Union, [21] although it is allowed as a flavor at concentrations where it does not function as a sweetener. [20] In 2017, a Chinese company requested a scientific review of its mogroside product by the European Food Safety Authority. [22] It is the basis of McNeil Nutritionals's tabletop sweetener Nectresse in the United States and Norbu Sweetener in Australia. [23]
Apart from sugar of lead (used as a sweetener in ancient through medieval times before the toxicity of lead was known), saccharin was the first artificial sweetener and was originally synthesized in 1879 by Remsen and Fahlberg. Its sweet taste was discovered by accident. It had been created in an experiment with toluene derivatives. A process for the creation of saccharin from phthalic anhydride was developed in 1950, and, currently, saccharin is created by this process as well as the original process by which it was discovered. It is 300 to 500 times sweeter than sucrose and is often used to improve the taste of toothpastes, dietary foods, and dietary beverages. The bitter aftertaste of saccharin is often minimized by blending it with other sweeteners.
Fear about saccharin increased when a 1960 study showed that high levels of saccharin may cause bladder cancer in laboratory rats. In 1977, Canada banned saccharin as a result of the animal research. In the United States, the FDA considered banning saccharin in 1977, but Congress stepped in and placed a moratorium on such a ban. The moratorium required a warning label and also mandated further study of saccharin safety.
Subsequently, it was discovered that saccharin causes cancer in male rats by a mechanism not found in humans. At high doses, saccharin causes a precipitate to form in rat urine. This precipitate damages the cells lining the bladder (urinary bladder urothelial cytotoxicity) and a tumor forms when the cells regenerate (regenerative hyperplasia). According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, "This mechanism is not relevant to humans because of critical interspecies differences in urine composition". [24]
In 2001, the United States repealed the warning label requirement, while the threat of an FDA ban had already been lifted in 1991. Most other countries also permit saccharin, but restrict the levels of use, while other countries have outright banned it.
The EPA has removed saccharin and its salts from their list of hazardous constituents and commercial chemical products. In a 14 December 2010 release, the EPA stated that saccharin is no longer considered a potential hazard to human health.
Stevia is a natural non-caloric sweetener derived from the Stevia rebaudiana plant, and is manufactured as a sweetener. [25] It is indigenous to South America, and has historically been used in Japanese food products, although it is now common internationally. [25] In 1987, the FDA issued a ban on stevia because it had not been approved as a food additive, although it continued to be available as a dietary supplement. [26] After being provided with sufficient scientific data demonstrating safety of using stevia as a manufactured sweetener, from companies such as Cargill and Coca-Cola, the FDA gave a "no objection" status as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) in December 2008 to Cargill for its stevia product, Truvia, for use of the refined stevia extracts as a blend of rebaudioside A and erythritol. [27] [28] [29] In Australia, the brand Vitarium uses Natvia, a stevia sweetener, in a range of sugar-free children's milk mixes. [30]
In August 2019, the FDA placed an import alert on stevia leaves and crude extracts – which do not have GRAS status – and on foods or dietary supplements containing them, citing concerns about safety and potential for toxicity. [31]
The world's most commonly used artificial sweetener, [17] sucralose is a chlorinated sugar that is about 600 times sweeter than sugar. It is produced from sucrose when three chlorine atoms replace three hydroxyl groups. It is used in beverages, frozen desserts, chewing gum, baked goods, and other foods. Unlike other artificial sweeteners, it is stable when heated and can therefore be used in baked and fried goods. Discovered in 1976, the FDA approved sucralose for use in 1998. [32]
Most of the controversy surrounding Splenda, a sucralose sweetener, is focused not on safety but on its marketing. It has been marketed with the slogan, "Splenda is made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar." Sucralose is prepared from either of two sugars, sucrose or raffinose. With either base sugar, processing replaces three oxygen-hydrogen groups in the sugar molecule with three chlorine atoms. [33] The "Truth About Splenda" website was created in 2005 by the Sugar Association, an organization representing sugar beet and sugar cane farmers in the United States, [34] to provide its view of sucralose. In December 2004, five separate false-advertising claims were filed by the Sugar Association against Splenda manufacturers Merisant and McNeil Nutritionals for claims made about Splenda related to the slogan, "Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar." French courts ordered the slogan to no longer be used in France, while in the U.S., the case came to an undisclosed settlement during the trial. [33]
There are few safety concerns pertaining to sucralose [35] and the way sucralose is metabolized suggests a reduced risk of toxicity. For example, sucralose is extremely insoluble in fat and, thus, does not accumulate in fatty tissues; sucralose also does not break down and will dechlorinate only under conditions that are not found during regular digestion (i.e., high heat applied to the powder form of the molecule). [36] Only about 15% of sucralose is absorbed by the body and most of it passes out of the body unchanged. [36]
In 2017, sucralose was the most common sugar substitute used in the manufacture of foods and beverages; it had 30% of the global market, which was projected to be valued at $2.8 billion by 2021. [17]
Sugar alcohols, or polyols, are sweetening and bulking ingredients used in the manufacturing of foods and beverages, particularly sugar-free candies, cookies, and chewing gums. [37] [38] As a sugar substitute, they typically are less-sweet and supply fewer calories (about a half to one-third fewer calories) than sugar. They are converted to glucose slowly, and do not spike increases in blood glucose. [37] [38] [39]
Sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, erythritol, and lactitol are examples of sugar alcohols. [38] These are, in general, less sweet than sucrose, but have similar bulk properties and can be used in a wide range of food products. [38] The sweetness profile may be altered during manufacturing by mixing with high-intensity sweeteners.
Sugar alcohols are carbohydrates with a biochemical structure partially matching the structures of sugar and alcohol, although not containing ethanol. [38] [40] They are not entirely metabolized by the human body. [40] The unabsorbed sugar alcohols may cause bloating and diarrhea due to their osmotic effect, if consumed in sufficient amounts. [41] They are found commonly in small quantities in some fruits and vegetables, and are commercially manufactured from different carbohydrates and starch. [38] [40] [42]
The majority of sugar substitutes approved for food use are artificially synthesized compounds. However, some bulk plant-derived sugar substitutes are known, including sorbitol, xylitol and lactitol. As it is not commercially profitable to extract these products from fruits and vegetables, they are produced by catalytic hydrogenation of the appropriate reducing sugar. For example, xylose is converted to xylitol, lactose to lactitol, and glucose to sorbitol.
Sugar substitutes are used instead of sugar for a number of reasons, including:
Carbohydrates and sugars usually adhere to the tooth enamel, where bacteria feed upon them and quickly multiply. [43] The bacteria convert the sugar to acids that decay the teeth. Sugar substitutes, unlike sugar, do not erode teeth as they are not fermented by the microflora of the dental plaque. A sweetener that may benefit dental health is xylitol, which tends to prevent bacteria from adhering to the tooth surface, thus preventing plaque formation and eventually decay. A Cochrane review, however, found only low-quality evidence that xylitol in a variety of dental products actually has any benefit in preventing tooth decays in adults and children. [43]
Sugar substitutes are a fundamental ingredient in diet drinks to sweeten them without adding calories. Additionally, sugar alcohols such as erythritol, xylitol, and sorbitol are derived from sugars. In the United States, six high-intensity sugar substitutes have been approved for use: aspartame, sucralose, neotame, acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), saccharin, and advantame. [3] Food additives must be approved by the FDA, [3] and sweeteners must be proven as safe via submission by a manufacturer of a GRAS document. [44] The conclusions about GRAS are based on a detailed review of a large body of information, including rigorous toxicological and clinical studies. [44] GRAS notices exist for two plant-based, high-intensity sweeteners: steviol glycosides obtained from stevia leaves ( Stevia rebaudiana ) and extracts from Siraitia grosvenorii , also called luo han guo or monk fruit. [3]
Many sugar substitutes are cheaper than sugar in the final food formulation. Sugar substitutes are often lower in total cost because of their long shelf life and high sweetening intensity. This allows sugar substitutes to be used in products that will not perish after a short period of time. [48]
In the United States, the FDA provides guidance for manufacturers and consumers about the daily limits for consuming high-intensity sweeteners, a measure called acceptable daily intake (ADI). [3] During their premarket review for all of the high-intensity sweeteners approved as food additives, the FDA established an ADI defined as an amount in milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day (mg/kg bw/d), indicating that a high-intensity sweetener does not cause safety concerns if estimated daily intakes are lower than the ADI. [49] The FDA states: "An ADI is the amount of a substance that is considered safe to consume each day over the course of a person's lifetime." For stevia (specifically, steviol glycosides), an ADI was not derived by the FDA, but by the Joint Food and Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives, whereas an ADI has not been determined for monk fruit. [49]
For the sweeteners approved as food additives, the ADIs in milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day are: [49]
If the sucrose, or other sugar, that is replaced has contributed to the texture of the product, then a bulking agent is often also needed. This may be seen in soft drinks or sweet teas that are labeled as "diet" or "light" that contain artificial sweeteners and often have notably different mouthfeel, or in table sugar replacements that mix maltodextrins with an intense sweetener to achieve satisfactory texture sensation.
The FDA has published estimates of sweetness intensity, called a multiplier of sweetness intensity (MSI) as compared to table sugar.
This section needs additional citations for verification .(January 2018) |
The sweetness levels and energy densities are in comparison to those of sucrose.
Name | Relative sweetness to sucrose by weight | Sweetness by food energy | Energy density | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Brazzein | 1250 | Protein | ||
Curculin | 1250 | Protein; also changes the taste of water and sour solutions to sweet | ||
Erythritol | 0.65 | 14 | 0.05 | |
Fructooligosaccharide | 0.4 | |||
Glycyrrhizin | 40 | |||
Glycerol | 0.6 | 0.55 | 1.075 | E422 |
Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates | 0.65 | 0.85 | 0.75 | |
Inulin | 0.1 | |||
Isomalt | 0.55 | 1.1 | 0.5 | E953 |
Isomaltooligosaccharide | 0.5 | |||
Isomaltulose | 0.5 | |||
Lactitol | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.5 | E966 |
Mogroside mix | 300 | |||
Mabinlin | 100 | Protein | ||
Maltitol | 0.825 | 1.7 | 0.525 | E965 |
Maltodextrin | 0.15 | |||
Mannitol | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.4 | E421 |
Miraculin | A protein that does not taste sweet by itself but modifies taste receptors to make sour foods taste sweet temporarily | |||
Monatin | 3,000 | Sweetener isolated from the plant Sclerochiton ilicifolius | ||
Monellin | 1,400 | Sweetening protein in serendipity berries | ||
Osladin | 500 | |||
Pentadin | 500 | Protein | ||
Polydextrose | 0.1 | |||
Psicose | 0.7 | |||
Sorbitol | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.65 | Sugar alcohol, E420 |
Stevia | 250 | Extracts known as rebiana, rebaudioside A, a steviol glycoside; commercial products: Truvia, PureVia, Stevia In The Raw | ||
Tagatose | 0.92 | 2.4 | 0.38 | Monosaccharide |
Thaumatin | 2,000 | Protein; E957 | ||
Xylitol | 1.0 | 1.7 | 0.6 | E967 |
This section needs additional citations for verification .(January 2018) |
Name | Relative sweetness to sucrose by weight | Trade name | Approval | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Acesulfame potassium | 200 [49] | Nutrinova | FDA 1988 | E950 Hyet Sweet |
Advantame | 20,000 [49] | FDA 2014 | E969 | |
Alitame | 2,000 | approved in Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and China. | Pfizer | |
Aspartame | 200 [49] | NutraSweet, Equal | FDA 1981, EU-wide 1994 | E951 Hyet Sweet |
Salt of aspartame-acesulfame | 350 | Twinsweet | E962 | |
Carrelame | 200,000 | |||
Sodium cyclamate | 40 | FDA banned 1969, approved in EU and Canada | E952, Abbott | |
Dulcin | 250 | FDA banned 1950 | ||
Glucin | 300 | |||
Lugduname | 220,000–300,000 | |||
Neohesperidin dihydrochalcone | 1650 | EU 1994 | E959 | |
Neotame | 7,000–13,000 [49] | NutraSweet | FDA 2002 | E961 |
P-4000 | 4,000 | FDA banned 1950 | ||
Saccharin | 200–700 [49] | Sweet'N Low | FDA 1958, Canada 2014 | E954 |
Sucralose | 600 [49] | Kaltame, Splenda | Canada 1991, FDA 1998, EU 2004 | E955, Tate & Lyle |
Name | Relative sweetness to sucrose by weight | Food energy (kcal/g) | Sweetness per food energy, relative to sucrose | Food energy for equal sweetness, relative to sucrose |
---|---|---|---|---|
Arabitol | 0.7 | 0.2 | 14 | 7.1% |
Erythritol | 0.8 | 0.21 | 15 | 6.7% |
Glycerol | 0.6 | 4.3 | 0.56 | 180% |
HSH | 0.4–0.9 | 3.0 | 0.52–1.2 | 83–190% |
Isomalt | 0.5 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 100% |
Lactitol | 0.4 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 125% |
Maltitol | 0.9 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 59% |
Mannitol | 0.5 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 83% |
Sorbitol | 0.6 | 2.6 | 0.92 | 108% |
Xylitol | 1.0 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 62% |
Compare with: Sucrose | 1.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 100% |
Reviews and dietetic professionals have concluded that moderate use of non-nutritive sweeteners as a safe replacement for sugars may help limit energy intake and assist with managing blood glucose and weight. [51] [52] [53] Other reviews found that the association between body weight and non-nutritive sweetener usage is inconclusive. [46] [54] [55] Observational studies tend to show a relation with increased body weight, while randomized controlled trials instead show a little causal weight loss. [46] [54] [55] Other reviews concluded that use of non-nutritive sweeteners instead of sugar reduces body weight. [51] [52]
There is little evidence that artificial sweeteners directly affect the onset and mechanisms of obesity, although consuming sweetened products is associated with weight gain in children. [56] [57] Some preliminary studies indicate that consumption of products manufactured with artificial sweeteners is associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome, decreased satiety, disturbed glucose metabolism, and weight gain, mainly due to increased overall calorie intake, although the numerous factors influencing obesity remain poorly studied, as of 2021. [56] [57] [58] [59]
Multiple reviews have found no link between artificial sweeteners and the risk of cancer. [46] [60] [61] [62] FDA scientists have reviewed scientific data regarding the safety of aspartame and different sweeteners in food, concluding that they are safe for the general population under common intake conditions. [63]
High consumption of artificially sweetened beverages was associated with a 12% higher risk of all-cause mortality and a 23% higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in a 2021 meta-analysis. [64] A 2020 meta-analysis found a similar result, with the highest consuming group having a 13% higher risk of all-cause mortality and a 25% higher risk of CVD mortality. [65] However both studies also found similar or greater increases in all-cause mortality when consuming the same amount of sugar-sweetened beverages.
The World Health Organization does not recommend using non-nutritive sweeteners to control body weight, based on a 2022 review that could only find small reductions in body fat and no effect on cardiometabolic risk. [66] It recommends fruit or non-sweetened foods instead. [67]
Aspartame is an artificial non-saccharide sweetener 200 times sweeter than sucrose and is commonly used as a sugar substitute in foods and beverages. It is a methyl ester of the aspartic acid/phenylalanine dipeptide with brand names NutraSweet, Equal, and Canderel. Aspartame was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1974, and then again in 1981, after approval was revoked in 1980.
Stevia is a sweet sugar substitute that is about 50 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. It is extracted from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana, a plant native to areas of Paraguay and Brazil. The active compounds in stevia are steviol glycosides. Stevia is heat-stable, pH-stable, and not fermentable. Humans cannot metabolize the glycosides in stevia, and therefore it has zero calories. Its taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, and at high concentrations some of its extracts may have an aftertaste described as licorice-like or bitter. Stevia is used in sugar and calorie-reduced food and beverage products as an alternative for variants with sugar.
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener and sugar substitute. As the majority of ingested sucralose is not metabolized by the body, it adds very little food energy. In the European Union, it is also known under the E number E955. It is produced by chlorination of sucrose, selectively replacing three of the hydroxy groups—in the C1 and C6 positions of the fructose portion and the C4 position of the glucose portion—to give a 1,6-dichloro-1,6-dideoxyfructose–4-chloro-4-deoxygalactose disaccharide. Sucralose is about 600 times sweeter than sucrose, 3 times as sweet as both aspartame and acesulfame potassium, and 2 times as sweet as sodium saccharin.
Splenda is a global brand of sugar substitutes and reduced-calorie food products. While the company is known for its original formulation containing sucralose, it also manufactures items using natural sweeteners such as stevia, monk fruit and allulose. It is owned by the American company Heartland Food Products Group. The high-intensity sweetener ingredient sucralose used in Splenda Original is manufactured by the British company Tate & Lyle.
Xylitol is a chemical compound with the formula C
5H
12O
5, or HO(CH2)(CHOH)3(CH2)OH; specifically, one particular stereoisomer with that structural formula. It is a colorless or white crystalline solid that is freely soluble in water. It is classified as a polyalcohol and a sugar alcohol, specifically an alditol. The name derives from Ancient Greek: ξύλον, xyl[on] 'wood', with the suffix -itol used to denote it being a sugar alcohol.
Cyclamate is an artificial sweetener. It is 30–50 times sweeter than sucrose, making it the least potent of the commercially used artificial sweeteners. It is often used with other artificial sweeteners, especially saccharin; the mixture of 10 parts cyclamate to 1 part saccharin is common and masks the off-tastes of both sweeteners. It is less expensive than most sweeteners, including sucralose, and is stable under heating. Safety concerns led to it being banned in a few countries, though the European Union considers it safe.
Neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, sometimes abbreviated to neohesperidin DC or simply NHDC, is an artificial sweetener derived from citrus.
Saccharin, also called saccharine, benzosulfimide, or E954, or used in saccharin sodium or saccharin calcium forms, is a non-nutritive artificial sweetener. Saccharin is a sultam that is about 500 times sweeter than sucrose, but has a bitter or metallic aftertaste, especially at high concentrations. It is used to sweeten products, such as drinks, candies, baked goods, tobacco products, excipients, and for masking the bitter taste of some medicines. It appears as white crystals and is odorless.
Acesulfame potassium, also known as acesulfame K or Ace K, is a synthetic calorie-free sugar substitute often marketed under the trade names Sunett and Sweet One. In the European Union, it is known under the E number E950. It was discovered accidentally in 1967 by German chemist Karl Clauss at Hoechst AG. Acesulfame potassium is the potassium salt of 6-methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazine-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide. It is a white crystalline powder with molecular formula C
4H
4KNO
4S and a molecular weight of 201.24 g/mol.
Diet or light beverages are generally sugar-free, artificially sweetened beverages with few or no calories. They are marketed for diabetics and other people who want to reduce their sugar and/or caloric intake.
Diet Rite is an American brand of no-calorie soft drinks that was originally distributed by the RC Cola company.
Neotame, also known by the brand name Newtame, is a non-caloric artificial sweetener and aspartame analog by NutraSweet. By mass, it is 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sucrose. It has no notable off-flavors when compared to sucrose. It enhances original food flavors. It can be used alone, but is often mixed with other sweeteners to increase their individual sweetness and decrease their off-flavors. It is chemically somewhat more stable than aspartame. Its use can be cost effective in comparison to other sweeteners as smaller amounts of neotame are needed.
Alitame is an aspartic acid-containing dipeptide sweetener. It was developed by Pfizer in the early 1980s and currently marketed in some countries under the brand name Aclame. Most dipeptides are not sweet, but the unexpected discovery of aspartame in 1965 led to a search for similar compounds that shared its sweetness. Alitame is one such second-generation dipeptide sweetener. Neotame, developed by the owners of the NutraSweet brand, is another.
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), also known as glucose–fructose, isoglucose and glucose–fructose syrup, is a sweetener made from corn starch. As in the production of conventional corn syrup, the starch is broken down into glucose by enzymes. To make HFCS, the corn syrup is further processed by D-xylose isomerase to convert some of its glucose into fructose. HFCS was first marketed in the early 1970s by the Clinton Corn Processing Company, together with the Japanese Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, where the enzyme was discovered in 1965.
D-Psicose (C6H12O6), also known as D-allulose or simply allulose, is an epimer of the monosaccharide sugar fructose that is used by some commercial food and beverage manufacturers as a low-calorie sweetener. Allulose occurs naturally in small quantities in a variety of foods. It was first identified in the 1940s, although the enzymes needed to produce it on an industrial scale were not discovered until the 1990s.
Fruit2O, formerly manufactured by Kraft, is a lightly flavored, non-carbonated water beverage introduced in 1999. Fruit2o was introduced to compete not only with the bottled water market but also with the soft drink market. Sunny Delight Beverages purchased the Veryfine Products line from Kraft in 2007.
Steviol glycosides are the chemical compounds responsible for the sweet taste of the leaves of the South American plant Stevia rebaudiana (Asteraceae) and the main ingredients of many sweeteners marketed under the generic name stevia and several trade names. They also occur in the related species S. phlebophylla and in the plant Rubus chingii (Rosaceae).
Truvia is a brand of stevia-based sugar substitute developed jointly by The Coca-Cola Company and Cargill. It is distributed and marketed by Cargill as a tabletop sweetener as well as a food ingredient. Truvia is made of stevia leaf extract, erythritol, and natural flavors. Because it comes from the stevia plant, Cargill classifies Truvia as a natural sweetener in addition to being a non-nutritive sweetener, although Cargill has settled lawsuits alleging deceptive marketing of Truvia as "natural". Since its launch in 2008, Truvia natural sweetener has become the second best-selling sugar substitute in units in the U.S. behind Splenda, surpassing Equal and Sweet'n Low. Truvia competes with Stevia In The Raw, the #2 brand of stevia, owned by Cumberland Packaging who also makes Sweet 'n Low.
A hard candy, or boiled sweet, is a sugar candy prepared from one or more sugar-based syrups that is heated to a temperature of 160 °C (320 °F) to make candy. Among the many hard candy varieties are stick candy such as the candy cane, lollipops, rock, aniseed twists, and bêtises de Cambrai. "Boiled" is a misnomer, as sucrose melts fully at approximately 186 °C. Further heating breaks it into glucose and fructose molecules before it can vaporize.
Pepsi Next is a discontinued cola-flavored carbonated soft drink produced by PepsiCo. It was a variant of the Pepsi cola range.