Sugar substitute
Common sugar substitutes include aspartame, monk fruit extract, saccharin, sucralose, stevia, acesulfame potassium (ace-K) and cyclamate.
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.
In North America, common sugar substitutes include aspartame, monk fruit extract, saccharin, sucralose and stevia.
These are, in general, less sweet than sucrose but have similar bulk properties and can be used in a wide range of food products.
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.
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.
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.
[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.
[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.
[20] In 2017, a Chinese company requested a scientific review of its mogroside product by the European Food Safety Authority.
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".
[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.
[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.
[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.
[40] The unabsorbed sugar alcohols may cause bloating and diarrhea due to their osmotic effect, if consumed in sufficient amounts.
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.
A Cochrane review, however, found only low-quality evidence that xylitol in a variety of dental products actually has any benefit in preventing tooth decay in adults and children.
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.
Sugar substitutes are often lower in total cost because of their long shelf life and high sweetening intensity.
[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] 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.
[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.
[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.
