Sweeteners The term Sweetener or Sweetening Agent is a collective term for synthetic and natural compounds with an intense, sweet taste. Their sweetness is 3000 times stronger than sugar (sucrose). Unlike sugar or sugar substitutes, all sweeteners are food additives which have no or a very low nutrient content (calories!). They are eliminated from the body virtually unchanged and  are available commercially as tablets, powders or liquids. For people with diabetes, sweeteners are an alternative to sugar in sweet meals and drinks. Aside from this, they are increasingly being used by overweight people or the calorie-conscious as sugar substitutes in weight-reducing food. In the foodstuffs industry, sweeteners are therefore primarily used to sweeten so-called diabetic foods or “light” products. However, in these products, sweeteners are often also mixed with sugar substitutes. Use of these products must be labelled.   Most sweeteners have a specific aftertaste or smack. Some lose their sweetness when heated. Apart from limited taste, the use of sweeteners is also subject to a legal maximum quantity limit. Foods sweetened using sweeteners must have a corresponding entry in the ingredients list. According to numerous studies, sweeteners do not have any properties harmful to health. Some sweeteners were previously said to cause cancer or increase appetite for sweet foods. The results of the studies showed no indication of this. Unlike sugar, sweeteners do not cause cavities.   Dr. Andreas Mller, Saalfeld                        Anja Sandeck, Saalfeld Internal specialist, DDG Diabetologist                 Graduate engineer in foodstuffs technology and engineering   Table 1: List of the most common sweeteners, their identification code and most important characteristics: Sweetener Identification code Characteristics Maximum quantity limit Maximum daily intake = ETD or ADI (WHO) Acesulfame Acesulfame-K E950  - Manufactured through chemical     synthesis.  - Sweetness approximately 200 times     stronger than sugar (household sugar-    see Section 3).  - Metallic smack.  - Used mainly in drinks, preserves,    jams,  sweets. 25 - 2500 mg/kg or litre 0 - 9 mg/ kg body weight Aspartame E951 - Manufactured through chemical    synthesis,  made up of the amino    acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine. - Sweetness approximately 200    times stronger than sugar. - Contains equal amount of calories    and protein. - Metallic smack in high concentrations. - Disintegrates at temperatures over    200 °C. - Is often combined with cyclamat. - Used mainly in drinks, spreads,   desserts, milk products. - Must be labelled as a source    of phenylalanine. 25 - 6000 mg/kg or litre 0 - 40 mg/ kg body weight Aspartame- Acesulfame salt E962 - Made from 64 % aspartame and    35 % acesulfame. - Sweetness approximately 350    times stronger than sugar. - May only be used in very small    quantities because of its high    sweetness, and must therefore    be classified as virtually calorie-free. - Water-soluble, sugar-like taste. - Used in diabetic foods, “light”    products, chewing gums, chocolate,    instant drinks, instant desserts. No data See Aspartame and Acesulfame Cyclamat, Cyclohexylsulfamic acid, Cyclohexan-sulfamic acid E952 - Manufactured through chemical synthesis.  - Sweetness approximately 35-70 time      stronger than sugar (lowest sweetness    of approved sweeteners). - Is often combined with saccharin    to increase sweetness and round off    the taste. - Suitable for cooking and baking. - Used mainly in (reduced-calorie)    drinks, pastries or desserts. 0.25 - 25 mg/kg or litre 0 - 7 mg/ kg body weight (Beware! This can quickly be reached in small children through consumption of larger drink quantities.) Saccharin E954 - Is the first industrially manufacturer     sweetener (based on chemical synthesis). - Sweetness approximately 550 times    stronger than sugar. - Bitter metallic task particularly in    higher concentrations, so it is mainly    used in combination with the     sweeteners cyclamat or thaumin or the    sugar substitute xylitol. - Virtually calorie-free. - Suitable for cooking and baking. - Used mainly in diabetic foods, drinks,     preserves, desserts, sweets. 80 - 3000 mg/kg or litre 0 - 5 mg/ kg body weight Sucralose E955 - Extracted from sugar. - Sweetness approximately 600 times    stronger than sugar. - Virtually calorie-free. - Sugar-like taste properties with long,    sweet aftertaste. - Often used in combination with other    sweeteners. - Used mainly in diabetic foods, “light”     products, desserts, sweets. 140 - 2400 mg/kg or litre 0 - 15 mg/ kg body weight Thaumatin E957 - Educed from the seed of the West African    Katemfe bush or extracted from plant    sources through genetically modified    micro-organisms. - First approved in the EC in 1996. - Sweetness approximately 2000 - 3000    times stronger than sugar. - 400 calories per 100 g-but virtually calorie    -free due to the low quantities used. - Enhances and rounds off taste. - Liquorice-like aftertaste particularly in high    concentrations. - Sweetness not heat-resistant. - Mainly used in combination with saccharin. - Used mainly in diabetic foods and “light”    products. 50 - 400 mg/kg or litre No ADI determined Neohesperidin-DC, Neohesperidin E959 - Manufactured from flavonoids (water-    soluble plant pigments) through chemical    synthesis. - Sweetness approximately 400 - 600 times    stronger than sugar. - Negligible calorie content - Menthol-like smack limits use. - Often used together with other    sweeteners and flavours. - Mainly used in nibbles and snacks. 30 - 400 mg/kg or litre 0 - 5 mg/ kg body weight