Artificial sweetener is a synthetic substance used in food and beverages in place of sugar. Artificial sweeteners are sweeter and have fewer calories than sucrose (table sugar). Excess sucrose can cause weight gain and raise blood sugar levels. Artificial sweeteners are used as an alternative to sugar by people dieting to lose weight and by people with diabetes. Artificial sweeteners do not include sugar substitutes from natural sources, such as sweetener made from the stevia plant.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the use of artificial sweeteners. The FDA has prohibited the use of several of the substances because experiments indicated they could cause cancer in people. For example, artificial sweeteners called cyclamates were banned in the United States in 1970. However, they are still used in other countries.
The artificial sweeteners approved for use in the United States are aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, sucralose, neotame, and advantame. The FDA considers these sweeteners to be safe for most people.
Aspartame is the most widely used artificial sweetener. It is derived from aspartic acid and phenylalanine, two chemicals that occur in certain foods. Aspartame is about 200 times as sweet as table sugar. It was first produced in 1965. Early experiments had suggested that eating large amounts of it might cause brain damage. But in 1981, after further scientific review, the FDA concluded that aspartame posed no significant health risk. The FDA has since approved it for use in breakfast cereals, carbonated soft drinks, chewing gum, and other products. People with a hereditary disease called phenylketonuria (PKU) should not consume aspartame. The body converts aspartame to phenylalanine, which harms people with PKU. Aspartame is sold under the brand names Equal, NutraSweet, and Sugar Twin.
Saccharin is about 300 times as sweet as table sugar. It is made from toluene and petroleum. It is the oldest artificial sweetener and one of the most studied food ingredients. Several countries have banned saccharin over concerns that it may cause cancer. In 1981, the National Toxicology Program (NTP), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, added saccharin to its list of known human carcinogens (substances that can cause cancer). But in 2000, the NTP removed saccharin from the list, saying that the links to cancer in tests do not apply to human beings. Sweet’N Low and Sugar Twin are brand names for saccharin. See Saccharin.
Acesulfame-K, also called acesulfame-potassium, is derived from acetoacetic acid. It is about 200 times as sweet as sugar. The FDA approved the use of acesulfame-K in dry goods in 1988. The sweetener is now used in many other products, including yogurt, baked goods, and soft drinks, and as a sugar substitute. Its brand names are Sunett and Sweet One.
Sucralose is about 600 times as sweet as table sugar. It is made from modified sugar molecules. The body does not recognize it as a sugar and so does not absorb it. Thus, sucralose supplies no calories. The FDA approved the sweetener in 1998 for use in the same foods for which aspartame has been approved. Canada has also approved the use of sucralose. Splenda is a brand name for sucralose.
Neotame is similar to aspartame, but neotame is much sweeter. Neotame is 7,000 to 13,000 times as sweet as table sugar. It maintains its sweetness even at high temperatures. This property makes it suitable for use in baked goods. It is sold under the brand name Newtame.
Advantame is the sweetest artificial sweetener approved by the FDA. It is 20,000 times as sweet as sugar. It is chemically similar to aspartame, but because it is so much sweeter, only tiny amounts are needed to sweeten food or drinks. The FDA considers it safe for people with PKU to consume advantame in such small amounts.
See also Food additive.
