A sugar substitute or artificial sweetener[2] is a food additive that provides a sweetness like that of sugar while containing significantly less food energy than sugar-based sweeteners, making it a zero-calorie (non-nutritive)[3] or low-calorie sweetener. Artificial sweeteners may be derived from plant extracts or processed by chemical synthesis. Sugar substitute products are commercially available in various forms, such as small pills, powders and packets.
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Common sugar substitutes include aspartame, monk fruit extract, saccharin, sucralose, stevia, acesulfame potassium (ace-K) and cyclamate. These sweeteners are a fundamental ingredient in diet drinks to sweeten them without adding calories. Additionally, sugar alcohols such as erythritol, xylitol and sorbitol are derived from sugars.
No links have been found between approved artificial sweeteners and cancer in humans.[4] Reviews and dietetic professionals have concluded that moderate use of non-nutritive sweeteners as a relatively safe replacement for sugars that can help limit energy intake and assist with managing blood glucose and weight.
Artificial sweeteners may be derived through manufacturing of plant extracts or processed by chemical synthesis.
High-intensity sweeteners—one type of sugar substitute—are compounds with many times the sweetness of sucrose (common table sugar). As a result, much less sweetener is required and energy contribution is often negligible. The sensation of sweetness caused by these compounds is sometimes notably different from sucrose, so they are often used in complex mixtures that achieve the most intense sweet sensation.
In North America, common sugar substitutes include aspartame, monk fruit extract, saccharin, sucralose and stevia. Cyclamate is prohibited from being used as a sweetener within the United States, but is allowed in other parts of the world.[5]
Sorbitol, xylitol and lactitol are examples of sugar alcohols (also known as polyols). These are, in general, less sweet than sucrose but have similar bulk properties and can be used in a wide range of food products. Sometimes the sweetness profile is fine-tuned by mixing with high-intensity sweeteners.
Allulose is a sweetener in the sugar family, with a chemical structure similar to fructose. It is naturally found in figs, maple syrup and some fruit. While it comes from the same family as other sugars, it does not substantially metabolize as sugar in the body.[6] The FDA recognizes that allulose does not act like sugar, and as of , no longer requires it to be listed with sugars on U.S. nutrition labels.[7] Allulose is about 70% as sweet as sugar, which is why it is sometimes combined with high-intensity sweeteners to make sugar substitutes.[8]
Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K) is 200 times sweeter than sucrose (common sugar), as sweet as aspartame, about two-thirds as sweet as saccharin, and one-third as sweet as sucralose. Like saccharin, it has a slightly bitter aftertaste, especially at high concentrations. Kraft Foods has patented the use of sodium ferulate to mask acesulfame's aftertaste. Acesulfame potassium is often blended with other sweeteners (usually aspartame or sucralose), which give a more sucrose-like taste, whereby each sweetener masks the other's aftertaste and also exhibits a synergistic effect in which the blend is sweeter than its components.
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. In carbonated drinks, it is almost always used in conjunction with another sweetener, such as aspartame or sucralose. 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.
Aspartame was discovered in by James M. Schlatter at the G.D. Searle company. He was working on an anti-ulcer drug and accidentally spilled some aspartame on his hand. When he licked his finger, he noticed that it had a sweet taste. Torunn Atteraas Garin oversaw the development of aspartame as an artificial sweetener. It is an odorless, white crystalline powder that is derived from the two amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine. It is about 180–200 times sweeter than sugar,[9][10] and can be used as a tabletop sweetener or in frozen desserts, gelatins, beverages and chewing gum. When cooked or stored at high temperatures, aspartame breaks down into its constituent amino acids. This makes aspartame undesirable as a baking sweetener. It is more stable in somewhat acidic conditions, such as in soft drinks. Though it does not have a bitter aftertaste like saccharin, it may not taste exactly like sugar. When eaten, aspartame is metabolized into its original amino acids. Because it is so intensely sweet, relatively little of it is needed to sweeten a food product, and is thus useful for reducing the number of calories in a product.
The safety of aspartame has been studied extensively since its discovery with research that includes animal studies, clinical and epidemiological research, and postmarketing surveillance,[11] with aspartame being a rigorously tested food ingredient.[12] Although aspartame has been subject to claims against its safety,[13] multiple authoritative reviews have found it to be safe for consumption at typical levels used in food manufacturing.[11][13][14][15] Aspartame has been deemed safe for human consumption by over 100 regulatory agencies in their respective countries,[15] including the UK Food Standards Agency,[9] the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA),[10] and Health Canada.[16]
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of cyclamate in after lab tests in rats involving a 10:1 mixture of cyclamate and saccharin (at levels comparable to humans ingesting 550 cans of diet soda per day) caused bladder cancer.[17] This information, however, is regarded as "weak" evidence of carcinogenic activity,[18] and cyclamate remains in common use in many parts of the world, including Canada, the European Union and Russia.[19][20]
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.[21][22] As of , it is not a permitted sweetener in the European Union,[23] although it is allowed as a flavor at concentrations where it does not function as a sweetener.[22] In , a Chinese company requested a scientific review of its mogroside product by the European Food Safety Authority.[24] It is the basis of McNeil Nutritionals's tabletop sweetener Nectresse in the United States and Norbu Sweetener in Australia.[25]
Apart from sugar of lead (used as a sweetener in ancient through medieval times before the toxicity of lead was known), saccharin was the first artificial sweetener and was originally synthesized in by Remsen and Fahlberg. Its sweet taste was discovered by accident. It had been created in an experiment with toluene derivatives. A process for the creation of saccharin from phthalic anhydride was developed in , and, currently, saccharin is created by this process as well as the original process by which it was discovered. It is 300 to 500 times sweeter than sucrose and is often used to improve the taste of toothpastes, dietary foods and dietary beverages. The bitter aftertaste of saccharin is often minimized by blending it with other sweeteners.
Fear about saccharin increased when a study showed that high levels of saccharin may cause bladder cancer in laboratory rats. In , Canada banned saccharin as a result of the animal research. In the United States, the FDA considered banning saccharin in , but Congress stepped in and placed a moratorium on such a ban. The moratorium required a warning label and also mandated further study of saccharin safety.
Subsequently, it was discovered that saccharin causes cancer in male rats by a mechanism not found in humans. At high doses, saccharin causes a precipitate to form in rat urine. This precipitate damages the cells lining the bladder (urinary bladder urothelial cytotoxicity) and a tumor forms when the cells regenerate (regenerative hyperplasia). 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".[26]
In , the United States repealed the warning label requirement, while the threat of an FDA ban had already been lifted in . Most other countries also permit saccharin, but restrict the levels of use, while other countries have outright banned it.
The EPA has removed saccharin and its salts from their list of hazardous constituents and commercial chemical products. In a 14 December release, the EPA stated that saccharin is no longer considered a potential hazard to human health.
Stevia is a natural non-caloric sweetener derived from the Stevia rebaudiana plant, and is manufactured as a sweetener.[27] It is indigenous to South America, and has historically been used in Japanese food products, although it is now common internationally.[27] In , the FDA issued a ban on stevia because it had not been approved as a food additive, although it continued to be available as a dietary supplement.[28] After being provided with sufficient scientific data demonstrating safety of using stevia as a manufactured sweetener, from companies such as Cargill and Coca-Cola, the FDA gave a "no objection" status as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) in December to Cargill for its stevia product, Truvia, for use of the refined stevia extracts as a blend of rebaudioside A and erythritol.[29][30][31] In Australia, the brand Vitarium uses Natvia, a stevia sweetener, in a range of sugar-free children's milk mixes.[32]
In August , 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.[33]
The world's most commonly used artificial sweetener,[19] sucralose is a chlorinated sugar that is about 600 times sweeter than sugar. It is produced from sucrose when three chlorine atoms replace three hydroxyl groups. It is used in beverages, frozen desserts, chewing gum, baked goods and other foods. Unlike other artificial sweeteners, it is stable when heated and can therefore be used in baked and fried goods. Discovered in , the FDA approved sucralose for use in .[34]
Most of the controversy surrounding Splenda, a sucralose sweetener, is focused not on safety but on its marketing. It has been marketed with the slogan, "Splenda is made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar." Sucralose is prepared from either of two sugars, sucrose or raffinose. With either base sugar, processing replaces three oxygen-hydrogen groups in the sugar molecule with three chlorine atoms.[35] The "Truth About Splenda" website was created in by the Sugar Association, an organization representing sugar beet and sugar cane farmers in the United States,[36] to provide its view of sucralose. In December , five separate false-advertising claims were filed by the Sugar Association against Splenda manufacturers Merisant and McNeil Nutritionals for claims made about Splenda related to the slogan, "Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar." French courts ordered the slogan to no longer be used in France, while in the U.S., the case came to an undisclosed settlement during the trial.[35]
There are few safety concerns pertaining to sucralose[37] and the way sucralose is metabolized suggests a reduced risk of toxicity. For example, sucralose is extremely insoluble in fat and, thus, does not accumulate in fatty tissues; sucralose also does not break down and will dechlorinate only under conditions that are not found during regular digestion (i.e., high heat applied to the powder form of the molecule).[38] Only about 15% of sucralose is absorbed by the body and most of it passes out of the body unchanged.[38]
In , 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 .[19]
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.[39][40] As a sugar substitute, they typically are less-sweet and supply fewer calories (about a half to one-third fewer calories) than sugar. They are converted to glucose slowly, and do not spike increases in blood glucose.[39][40][41]
Sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, erythritol and lactitol are examples of sugar alcohols.[40] 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 sweetness profile may be altered during manufacturing by mixing with high-intensity sweeteners.
Sugar alcohols are carbohydrates with a biochemical structure partially matching the structures of sugar and alcohol, although not containing ethanol.[40][42] They are not entirely metabolized by the human body.[42] The unabsorbed sugar alcohols may cause bloating and diarrhea due to their osmotic effect, if consumed in sufficient amounts.[43] They are found commonly in small quantities in some fruits and vegetables, and are commercially manufactured from different carbohydrates and starch.[40][42][44]
The majority of sugar substitutes approved for food use are artificially synthesized compounds. However, some bulk plant-derived sugar substitutes are known, including sorbitol, xylitol and lactitol. 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. For example, xylose is converted to xylitol, lactose to lactitol, and glucose to sorbitol.
Sugar substitutes are used instead of sugar for a number of reasons, including:
Carbohydrates and sugars usually adhere to the tooth enamel, where bacteria feed upon them and quickly multiply.[45] The bacteria convert the sugar to acids that decay the teeth. Sugar substitutes, unlike sugar, do not erode teeth as they are not fermented by the microflora of the dental plaque. A sweetener that may benefit dental health is xylitol, which tends to prevent bacteria from adhering to the tooth surface, thus preventing plaque formation and eventually tooth decay. 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.[45]
Sugar substitutes are a fundamental ingredient in diet drinks to sweeten them without adding calories. Additionally, sugar alcohols such as erythritol, xylitol and sorbitol are derived from sugars. In the United States, six high-intensity sugar substitutes have been approved for use: aspartame, sucralose, neotame, acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), saccharin and advantame.[5] Food additives must be approved by the FDA,[5] and sweeteners must be proven as safe via submission by a manufacturer of a GRAS document.[46] The conclusions about GRAS are based on a detailed review of a large body of information, including rigorous toxicological and clinical studies.[46] GRAS notices exist for two plant-based, high-intensity sweeteners: steviol glycosides obtained from stevia leaves (Stevia rebaudiana) and extracts from Siraitia grosvenorii, also called luo han guo or monk fruit.[5]
Many sugar substitutes are cheaper than sugar in the final food formulation. Sugar substitutes are often lower in total cost because of their long shelf life and high sweetening intensity. This allows sugar substitutes to be used in products that will not perish after a short period of time.[50]
In the United States, the FDA provides guidance for manufacturers and consumers about the daily limits for consuming high-intensity sweeteners, a measure called acceptable daily intake (ADI).[5] 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.[51] The FDA states: "An ADI is the amount of a substance that is considered safe to consume each day over the course of a person's lifetime." For stevia (specifically, steviol glycosides), an ADI was not derived by the FDA, but by the Joint Food and Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives, whereas an ADI has not been determined for monk fruit.[51]
For the sweeteners approved as food additives, the ADIs in milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day are:[51]
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. This may be seen in soft drinks or sweet teas that are labeled as "diet" or "light" that contain artificial sweeteners and often have notably different mouthfeel, or in table sugar replacements that mix maltodextrins with an intense sweetener to achieve satisfactory texture sensation.
The FDA has published estimates of sweetness intensity, called a multiplier of sweetness intensity (MSI) as compared to table sugar.
The sweetness levels and energy densities are in comparison to those of sucrose.
Name Relative sweetnessrelative to sucrose
Food energy for equalsweetness, relative to sucrose
Arabitol 0.7 0.2 14 7.1% Erythritol 0.8 0.21 15 6.7% Glycerol 0.6 4.3 0.56 180% HSH 0.4–0.9 3.0 0.52–1.2 83–190% Isomalt 0.5 2.0 1.0 100% Lactitol 0.4 2.0 0.8 125% Maltitol 0.9 2.1 1.7 59% Mannitol 0.5 1.6 1.2 83% Sorbitol 0.6 2.6 0.92 108% Xylitol 1.0 2.4 1.6 62% Compare with:Sucrose
1.0 4.0 1.0 100%Reviews and dietetic professionals have concluded that moderate use of non-nutritive sweeteners as a safe replacement for sugars may help limit energy intake and assist with managing blood glucose and weight.[53][54][55] Other reviews found that the association between body weight and non-nutritive sweetener usage is inconclusive.[48][56][57] Observational studies tend to show a relation with increased body weight, while randomized controlled trials instead show a little causal weight loss.[48][56][57] Other reviews concluded that use of non-nutritive sweeteners instead of sugar reduces body weight.[53][54]
There is little evidence that artificial sweeteners directly affect the onset and mechanisms of obesity, although consuming sweetened products is associated with weight gain in children.[58][59] 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 .[58][59][60][61]
Multiple reviews have found no link between artificial sweeteners and the risk of cancer.[48][62][63][64] 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.[65]
High consumption of artificially sweetened beverages was associated with a 12% higher risk of all-cause mortality and a 23% higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in a meta-analysis.[66] A meta-analysis found a similar result, with the highest consuming group having a 13% higher risk of all-cause mortality and a 25% higher risk of CVD mortality.[67] However, both studies also found similar or greater increases in all-cause mortality when consuming the same amount of sugar-sweetened beverages.
The World Health Organization does not recommend using non-nutritive sweeteners to control body weight, based on a review that could only find small reductions in body fat and no effect on cardiometabolic risk.[68] It recommends fruit or non-sweetened foods instead.[69]
Sugary or savory preferences aside, sweeteners are a crucial component of commercial beverage formulas. However, not all sweeteners are created equal, and they're not as simple as a spoonful of sugar! Developing a beverage product requires a bit of research to decide which sweetener will work best for your concept.
Finding the right sweetener (or, more likely, a combination of sweeteners) can be a challenge. These additives vary in cost, caloric value, mouthfeel, and intensity of sweetness per volume. All of which can affect your product's pricing, nutritional facts panel, and overall taste. Luckily for you, our Beverage Architects created this resource so that you can have all the facts, all in one place!
While there is a range of sweeteners out there, we'll specifically discuss naturally occurring sugars, high-intensity sweeteners, and sugar alcohols. Remember to pair the knowledge you gain here with the expertise and insights of beverage development experts who will be better equipped to answer questions about your specific drink project.
Before we dive into the types of sweeteners available to you, you should know the terms mouthfeel, added sugar, and total sugar, as well as how the standard sweetener (sugar) impacts beverage development:
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Mouthfeel - It is best understood as a product's physical interaction in the mouth, essentially the texture and quality of experiencing the tasted liquid. This term is often used when talking about sweeteners and other aspects of a beverage's profile.
There is a broad range of qualities to describe mouthfeel, including density, dryness, graininess, heaviness, mouth coating, slipperiness, and smoothness. Different sweeteners create different mouthfeels, and some have no mouthfeel at all. Generally, when a sweetener with no mouthfeel is used, ingredients are added to the beverage to get it closer to the experience of real sugar. This is another reason why using a combination of sweeteners is a popular approach to beverage building: it allows you to balance out a number of variables for your drink in addition to mouthfeel, including desired sweetness, caloric value, and per-unit cost.
Added Sugar vs. Total Sugar - Before we dive into the types of available sweeteners, you should know the difference between added sugar and naturally occurring sugar. This may affect your product's labeling.
Sweeteners are responsible for giving food and beverages their sugary taste. Naturally occurring sugars are those found in dairy, whole fruits, or 100% fruit juice products that have not been otherwise sweetened (i.e., no additional sugar has been added during manufacturing). As the name suggests, added sugars are infused during the manufacturing process, usually to enhance texture or taste.
This is important for labeling purposes because the FDA now requires beverages to disclose the amount of "Added Sugars" (not just "Total Sugars") contained in a product on its nutrition facts panel. Depending on how important the presence of added sugars is to your market, this might be important information for you as you develop your drink concept.
Sugar - It makes the most sense to start with the most recognizable sweetener -sugar. Sugar is the benchmark by which all other sweeteners are compared. Its taste, sweetness, and even mouthfeel are immediately recognizable, making it convenient for beverage development. However, as a carbohydrate with 4 calories per gram, it's not a great fit for products targeting a lower calorie threshold.
Generally, evaluating sweeteners by their relative sweetness to sugar can provide a fuller picture when determining which will best fit your concept. In addition to designing your brand strategy, you should also determine a desired cost, taste, caloric value, and mouthfeel for your product. If it hasn't already been made clear, each of those considerations will be affected by your sweeteners.
As you begin to make decisions about sweeteners, you should be aware of a few modified sugars, including high-fructose corn syrup and crystalline fructose.
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) comprises any group of corn syrups that've undergone enzymatic processing to convert some of its glucose into fructose to produce a desired sweetness. HFCS is also called "glucose/fructose" in Canada.
In the US, HFCS is also among the sweeteners that have primarily replaced sugar. It's important to note that "high fructose" is somewhat of a misnomer; corn syrup is mostly glucose, so the process of raising the amount of fructose in the syrup to make it similar to the fructose/glucose ratio of sugar is what is responsible for the "high fructose" naming.
Factors like governmental quotas of domestic sugar and import tariffs on foreign sugar have all had an impact of raising the price of sugar, making HFCS more cost-effective for many sweetener applications.
There are a variety of HFCS types, but HFCS 55 has been the most popular for beverages, especially soft drinks (you can see other uses in the table below). Both HFCS 55 and 42 are about the same sweetness as sugar. The most widely used varieties of HFCS are:
Like HFCS, crystalline fructose is a modified sweetener derived from corn, however, it is estimated to be slightly sweeter than HFCS (depending on the type) and much sweeter than table sugar. It consists of at least 98% pure fructose, with any remainder being water and trace minerals. Extra processing can result in a crystalline product that is closer to 100% pure fructose.
Crystalline fructose offers several unique benefits that make it more advantageous to use as compared to HFCS and other sweeteners. For example, this form of fructose is easily combined with other sweeteners and starches to not only boost sweetness, but also provide excellent mouthfeel.
Crystalline fructose is popularly used in drinks of all types-from carbonated beverages and enhanced or flavored waters, to sports and energy drinks, dairy products, reduced-calorie drinks, and drink mixes.
Besides standard sugar, there are a variety of naturally occurring sugars used in beverage development. Three examples include honey, agave nectar, and maple syrup.
Honey is a naturally occurring sugar is a household staple that appeals to consumers looking for more familiar ingredients in their beverages. Honey is an interesting choice for organic, natural, or clean-label products; however, shelf life should be taken into serious consideration.
While honey tends to have a long shelf life on its own, when added to a beverage it becomes susceptible to quality changes, including darkening, dropping out of solution, and losing the intensity of its sweet aroma and flavor. It also has cost and flavor implications, and it contains 3 calories per gram, so it isn't a great low-calorie option.
An alternative to honey is agave nectar (or agave syrup). This natural sugar is commercially produced from several species of agave to create a nectar sweeter than honey, though less viscous, depending on the sugar concentration.
Agave nectar is an attractive sweetener for most of the same drinks as honey, though it comes with the same challenges, the most substantial of which include quality considerations. Depending on storage conditions, agave nectar can last up to two years on its own-but again, when introduced to the other ingredients and processes required to create a commercially viable beverage, shelf life is greatly reduced while cost remains high.
Maple syrup is another naturally occurring sugar similar to honey and agave nectar. Like both of those ingredients, maple syrup has a very specific taste which has implications for what types of flavors and drinks it can be paired with-and once again, cost and quality remain the biggest hurdles for using this ingredient in beverage applications.
As more consumers embrace naturally occurring sugars like honey, agave nectar, and maple syrup, it's important for developers to understand the risks and rewards involved in using these ingredients, as described in the previous section. For the past 20 or so years, sugar in its most recognizable form (sugar) has experienced a tumultuous reputation where health is concerned. This has created a healthy halo effect for alternatives like low- and no-calorie sweeteners.
Known by the FDA as high-intensity sweeteners, this class of sugar alternatives generally contain few or no calories but have a higher intensity of sweetness per gram than sugar. Sugar-free sweeteners have become popular because they allow consumers more drink options without the extra calories or carbs.
Of course, many high-intensity sweeteners have inherent flavor issues associated with them that will require innovative formulation solutions. Common issues include a delay in the onset of perceived sweetness, a lingering sweetness, bitter or metallic aftertaste, a non-linear sweetener concentration to sweetness equivalency ratio, adaptation or desensitizing, and a lack of mouthfeel. Further, those extracted from plants may also present cooling, herbal, or licorice flavors. Luckily, the Beverage Architects at Flavorman are adept at addressing these problems.
Aspartame is an artificial, non-saccharide about 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is made by bringing together two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanin. Since its introduction in , aspartame has been one of the most researched artificial sweeteners on the market.
Aspartame has been most popularly used in diet drinks. Even though it contains about four calories per gram, the quantity of aspartame required to provide sweetness in drinks is so small, its caloric contribution is negligible-like most of the other high-intensity sweeteners on this list. Aspartame also gets away with having significant flavor differences from sugar. It doesn't quite match that standard profile (its aftertaste lasts longer than sugar), but consumers have more or less come to accept it, expecting this unique flavor in their favorite diet products.
First approved by the FDA in , acesulfame potassium (also referred to as ace-K) is a calorie-free artificial sweetener that is about 200 times sweeter than sugar and one-third as sweet as sucralose.
Ace-K has a slightly bitter aftertaste, especially at higher concentrations. It's often blended with other sweeteners like sucralose or aspartame to improve shelf life and create a more sugar-like taste, whereby each sweetener masks the other's aftertaste.
Like aspartame, ace-k has mostly fallen out of fashion except in the diet soda category. It remains one of the sweeteners responsible for giving iconic products like Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi their signature flavor.
Stevia is a natural, zero-calorie sweetener popular in diet drinks of all kinds. It is derived from stevia rebaudiana, a leafy plant that shares a similar appearance to mint. Its leaves alone are 150 times sweeter than sugar, and are used to distill a super sweet chemical called reb-A or steviol glycoside rebaudioside A, though we also often use reb-M and reb-D.
As an extract, stevia can be 300 times sweeter than sugar and even though this sweetness can take some extra time to detect in comparison to the immediacy of sugar, it tends to last longer on the palate.
Its benefits are that it is heat-stable, pH-stable, and non-fermentable, making it an incredibly popular additive in drinks of all kinds-but don't go rushing to this option right away, because it has a few disadvantages too. Stevia has a short shelf life and a bitter aftertaste from steviol glycosydes, which are characterized with a very specific and licorice-like flavor. The good news is that this can be altered by adding natural masking flavors or blending it with another sweetener.
Sucralose is a clean-tasting, zero-calorie artificial sweetener that is approximately 600 times sweeter than sugar. To achieve the same sweetness level as 10g of sugar, only 0.02g of sucralose is needed. This offers substantial per-unit cost savings, as sucralose is already cheaper than sugar.
The idea to use sucralose as an artificial sweetener was introduced in the s. During an exploratory experiment, scientist Shashikant Phadnis reportedly misheard the command "test the compound" as "taste the compound," which allowed him to accidentally discover its sweetness and change what the world is drinking.
It is produced by processing sugar through selective chlorination, which removes the substance's caloric output. It is stable under heat and over a broad range of pH conditions, making it a popular additive for beverages requiring a longer shelf life.
In beverages, sucralose is added in very small quantities due to its extreme sweetness; but when you find sucralose in grocery stores, you'll discover that it looks and tastes almost like regular sugar. When processed with additional ingredients, such as glucose and maltodextrin, sucralose takes on a granular appearance and balanced sweetness by volume that's more comparable to sugar-that's how you get the Splenda packets you use in your morning coffee!
Also known as lo han guo or swingle fruit, monk fruit is a popular natural and zero-calorie sweetener native to southern China. Unlike most fruits, whose sweetness comes from fructose sugar, this small round fruit has a flavor that derives from mogroside-an extremely sweet substance with negligible calories thanks to the lower usage rate required to get to the relative sweetness of sugar.
In fact, like stevia, only 0.04g are needed to achieve the same relative sweetness as 10g of sugar, offering potential cost savings. Used together, stevia and monkfruit can create a profile that's closer to that of real sugar, though they can still be perceived as tasting "artificial" to some consumers for missing that up-front sweetness.
As the name implies, sugar alcohols can be described as hybrids of sugar and alcohol molecules-but don't worry, they don't contain any ethanol, the compound that makes you drunk. While sugar alcohols aren't calorie-free, they're relatively low-calorie and contain no net carbs based on their usage rates.
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that occurs naturally in fruits and fermented foods. It is produced from glucose by yeast fermentation and commonly used as a medium in which to deliver high-intensity sweeteners (especially stevia derivatives), serving the dual function of providing both bulk (for mouthfeel) and additional flavor.
It's important to note that erythritol can create a cooling effect, so other ingredients are often used to counteract that effect.€¯ Erythritol is a popular sweetener that is found in everything from energy drinks and flavored waters to fruit drink mixes, sodas, and more.
Another sugar alcohol worth mentioning is allulose. Chemically similar to table sugar and comparable in its taste, mouthfeel, and browning properties, allulose has become an increasingly popular sweetener in foods and beverages of all kinds.
Another attractive benefit to using this ingredient is that in April , the FDA announced allulose could be excluded from the Total and Added Sugars declarations on the Nutrition Facts panels of foods and beverages; however, it still counts towards the overall calorie count through carbohydrates, contributing 0.2 calories per gram.
You can find allulose in many low-calorie carbonated and non-carbonated drinks, as well as coffee mixes.
As you can see, there are many options at your disposal when choosing a sweetener, and thousands when you get into combinations of sweeteners. Each sweetener has a unique selection of qualities and properties, in addition to pros and cons that must be considered.
As with every aspect of beverage building, you'll get to have fun figuring out which sweetener (or combination of sweeteners) will be best for your beverage-and you don't have to do it alone!
If you've got an idea for a great drink, the beverage development experts at Flavorman can help you bring it to life! Just fill out this web form or give us a call at (502) 273- to get started.
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