- PDF Version (1.0M) - Print Friendly - Help

Food Focus June 2009

Intense food sweeteners

Intense sweeteners replace the sweetness normally provided by sugar to provide low calorie or sugar free alternatives. Intense sweeteners cannot always simply replace sugar or other sweeteners as sugar may also be used for other reasons in food such as to thicken, help retain moisture or prevent ingredients from separating (as thickeners, humectants or emulsifiers) or to provide bulk and texture.

Unlike sugar, intense sweeteners contain little energy so they are suitable for people with medical conditions affected by sugar – such as diabetes or obesity. Their use can also reduce tooth decay caused by added sugars.

Intense sweeteners are often called ‘artificial sweeteners’ but some are naturally occurring plant extracts such as steviol glycosides from the stevia plant. Intense sweeteners are food additives and are regulated under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) carries out safety assessments to ensure the permissions to use food additives including these sweeteners do not exceed safe levels even in high consumers.

Intense sweeteners are identified on labels under the class name ‘Sweetener’ followed by their name or number.

A-Z of intense food sweeteners

These intense sweeteners are approved for use in food in New Zealand:

Acesulphame potassium (950) (Acesulphame-K) is 200 times sweeter than sugar. Acesulphame potassium is used as a tabletop sweetener, and with aspartame in many food and drinks, confectionery, canned food, oral hygiene products and pharmaceuticals.

Alitame (956) is about 2000 times sweeter than sugar, about 10 times sweeter than aspartame and has no after taste. It is used in toiletries and pharmaceuticals, but rarely as a sweetener in foods or drink.

Aspartame (951) is more than 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is used in low-energy or sugar-free foods, including carbonated soft drinks, yoghurt and confectionery. Aspartame has been safely used for at least 25 years as a sugar alternative, and is one of the most studied sweeteners on the market. Aspartame does carry a risk for a small number of people with the rare inherited disorder phenylketonuria (PKU). They are advised not to consume aspartame because they are unable to metabolise the amino acid phenylalanine, which could accumulate to potentially harmful levels. All products containing aspartame must have a warning about phenylalanine.

Aspartame-acesulphame salt (962) is about 350 times sweeter than sugar and is produced by combining aspartame and acesulphame potassium under acidic conditions. It is used in a range of foods, drinks, confectionery and chewing gum. As with aspartame (951), all products containing this sweetener must have a warning about phenylalanine.

Cyclamate (952) is 30–50 times sweeter than sugar. It is used in confectionery and many foods and drinks. It is often paired with saccharin to make the food product taste better.

Neotame (961) is 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar. Neotame is used in a range of food, canned fruit, drinks and confectionery. It is structurally similar to aspartame, but the potential release of phenylalanine from neotame is so limited that a warning for patients with PKU is not necessary.

Saccharin (954) is about 300 times sweeter than sugar. It is used in many foods and drinks, confectionery, medicines and toothpaste.

Stevia (Steviol glycosides) (960) is a naturally occurring sweetener from plants in the sunflower family. It has a slower onset and longer duration of taste than sugar. It is 250-300 times sweeter than sugar.

Sucralose (955) is about 600 times sweeter than sugar. It is commonly used in food, drinks and confectionery.

Thaumatin (957) is an intensely sweet tasting protein (about 100,000 times sweeter than sugar) originally extracted from a West African plant. It can now be manufactured by genetically-modified bacteria. Thaumatin tastes different from sugar because the sweet sensation builds very slowly and lingers for a long time leaving a liquorice-like aftertaste.

Sugar alcohol sweeteners

There are a range of food additives other than intense sweeteners that act as sweeteners but are generally less sweet than sugar and are often used for their other properties, as emulsifiers, thickeners or humectants.

These are sugar alcohols which cannot be completely digested, so eating too much can lead to diarrhoea. Certain sugar alcohols used as sweeteners are required to have an advisory statement that excess consumption may have a laxative effect.

Sugar alcohol sweeteners include: Erythritol (968), Isomalt (953), Sorbitol (420), Mannitol (421), Xylitol (967), Maltitol (965), and Lactitol (966).

For a copy of NZFSA’s brochure Intense food sweeteners look under food additives in the consumer section of the website or call 0800 693 721 or email info@nzfsa.govt.nz