Whether it’s to cut down on the number of calories they consume or any of a variety of other reasons, some people use sugar substitutes – also called high-intensity sweeteners – to sweeten and add flavor to their foods.
They can be used alone to sweeten foods and beverages such as iced tea or coffee, or as an ingredient in other products. There are a number of sugar substitutes on the market from which to choose.
Sugar substitutes are called ‘high-intensity’ because small amounts pack a large punch when it comes to sweetness.
Unlike sweeteners such as sugar, honey, or molasses, high-intensity sweeteners add few or no calories to the foods they flavor. Also, high-intensity sweeteners generally do not raise blood sugar levels.
The most recent high-intensity sweetener approved by the FDA is called advantame, which was approved in 2014.
Advantame—which does not yet have a brand name (such as Sweet’N Low, a brand name for saccharin, or Equal, a brand name for aspartame)—was approved as a new food additive for use as a sweetener and flavor enhancer in foods, except meat and poultry.
Examples of uses for which advantame has been approved include baked goods, non-alcoholic beverages (including soft drinks), chewing gum, confections and frostings, frozen desserts, gelatins and puddings, jams and jellies, processed fruits and fruit juices, toppings, and syrups.
How Do You Know It’s Safe?
The FDA is required by law to review all new food additives for safety before they can go on the market. The process begins when a company submits a food additive petition to the agency seeking approval.
One exception is for substances “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS, because those substances are generally recognized by qualified experts as safe under the conditions of intended use and are exempt from the food additive approval process.
The agency’s scientists thoroughly review all the scientific evidence submitted by a company to ensure the product is safe for the intended use.
In determining the safety of advantame, the FDA reviewed data from 37 animal and human studies designed to identify possible toxic (harmful) effects, including effects on the immune, reproductive and developmental, and nervous systems.
Advantame is chemically related to aspartame, and certain individuals should avoid or restrict the use of aspartame.
To that end, the FDA evaluated whether the same individuals should avoid or restrict advantame, as well.
People who have phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic disorder, have a difficult time metabolizing phenylalanine, a component of both aspartame and advantame.
Newborns are tested for PKU using a common “heel-prick” test before they leave the hospital.
Foods containing aspartame must bear an information statement for people with PKU alerting them about the presence of phenylalanine.
But advantame is much sweeter than aspartame, so only a very small amount needs to be used to reach the same level of sweetness. As a result, foods containing advantame do not need to bear that statement.
Sweeteners approved as food additives
There are food additive approvals for six high-intensity sweeteners.
Saccharin, was first discovered and used in 1879, before the current food additive approval process came into effect in 1958. Brand names include Sweet‘N Low
Aspartame, first approved for use in 1981. Brand names include Equal
Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), first approved for use in 1988. Brand names include Sweet One
Sucralose, first approved for use in 1998. Brand name is Splenda
Neotame, approved for use in 2002. Brand name is Newtame
Advantame, approved for use in 2014.
In addition to the six high-intensity sweeteners that are FDA-approved as food additives, the agency has received and has not questioned GRAS notices for three types of plant/fruit based high-intensity sweeteners: certain steviol glycosides obtained from the leaves of the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni) or fermentation-based processes, extracts obtained from Siraitia grosvenorii Swingle fruit, also known as Luo Han Guo or monk fruit, and thaumatin, produced by a plant-based process.
While these high-intensity sweeteners are considered safe for their intended uses, certain individuals may have a particular sensitivity or adverse reaction to any food substance.
Consumers should share with their health care provider any concerns they have about a negative food reaction.
If you care about diet, please read studies that green tea may protect your body as a vaccine, and this diet may boost your gut health and weight loss.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies that yogurt and high-fiber diet may cut lung cancer risk, and results showing COVID-19 vaccines need to be shored up with a plant-based diet.
