What Are Noncalorie and Low Calorie Sweeteners and Are They Safe?

Monosaccharides and disaccharides make foods like fruits and honey sweet. They can be used by food manufacturers to make recipe foodshave filed complaints with the FDA about aspartame. Some scientiststhink that these people may be more sensitive to one of the componentsof aspartame or to the small amount of formaldehyde and formate produced. Both formaldehyde and formate are considered toxic at higher intake levels, however the FDA believes the risk to be extremely low under typical circumstances. It is important to point out that since aspartame contains phenylalanine, people with a genetic condition called phenylketonuria (PKU) should avoid aspartame. Aspartame is sold under the trade name NutraSweet and Equal.

Sucralose—Sucralose was discovered in 1976 and the FDA approved it for use in food and beverages in 1998. Sucralose is six hundred times sweeter than sugar and unlike aspartame it is appropriate for most home cooking and baking recipes because it won’t breakdown when heated. Sucralose is made by exchanging three chlorine atoms for hydroxyl (OH) groups on the sucrose molecule. Sucralose is not digested and therefore doesn’t provide calories. However some of it is absorbed into the body. By and large sucralose is urinated out of the body within a few days. Some concern has been expressed by the public regarding the safety of sucralose. Despite several research studies suggesting that sucralose is safe for general use, some argue that not enough is known about longterm consumption of sucralose and whether or not some of the chlorine can be released and be problematic like other chlorine-based molecules.

Acesulfame K—Approved for use by the FDA in 1988 and has an intensity of sweetness about two hundred and fifty times that of sucrose. Acesulfame is used as a sweetener in many countries other than the United States and it appears to be usable with cold and hot food preparation. It is considered safe sweetener and is marketed under the name Sunette.

Stevia—Stevia is not an artificial sweetener as it is derived from a South and Central American shrub. Stevia is approximately three hundred times as sweet as sucrose. Recently Stevia has been approved for use in foods and beverages in Australia and New Zealand, and there is growing pressure for the FDA to approve its use in the US. At this time, Stevia is only available in the US as a dietary supplement.

Sugar Alcohols—Since these substances can be found in plants, sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, mannitol, and maltitol are recognized as artificial sweeteners. Sugar alcohols are used mainly to sweeten sugar-free candies, cookies, and chewing gums as they do not promote the formation of cavities in the same way as sugars.