Stability and degradation of the high‐intensity sweeteners: Aspartame,Alitame, and Sucralose

Abstract

More than 170 million Americans consume low‐calorie foods and beverages. The interest of the consumer in low‐calorie foods that contain alternative sweeteners has grown. Currently, non‐nutritive high‐intensity sweeteners, aspartame and sucralose have been approved for use in the United States. Another sweetener, alitame, used in other countries such as Australia and China has not been granted approval for use in the States.

The paper reviews the stability and degradation products of high‐intensity sweeteners, aspartame, alitame, and sucralose.     

Assessment of Korean consumer exposure to sodium saccharin,aspartame and stevioside

The dietary intakes of sodium saccharin, aspartame and stevioside were estimated on the basis of food consumption data of the Korean consumer and the concentration of sweeteners in processed foods. Results were compared with the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of sweeteners. Among the 28 food categories for which the application of sodium saccharin, aspartame and stevioside is permitted in Korea, they were detected in 5, 12 and 13 categories, respectively. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of sodium saccharin and aspartame were high in infants and children, whereas the EDI of stevioside was high in adolescents and adults. The most highly consumed sweetener was aspartame, and the highest EDI/ADI ratio was found for sodium saccharin. The main food categories contributing to sweetener consumption were beverages, including alcoholic beverages. For most Korean consumers, the EDIs were no greater than 20% of their corresponding ADI; however, the EDI of sodium saccharin for conservative consumers aged 1–2 years reached 60% of their ADI.     

The sensory properties and metabolic impact of natural and synthetic sweeteners

The global rise in obesity, type II diabetes, and other metabolic disorders in recent years has been attributed in part to the overconsumption of added sugars. Sugar reduction strategies often rely on synthetic and naturally occurring sweetening compounds to achieve their goals, with popular synthetic sweeteners including saccharin, cyclamate, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, sucralose, neotame, alitame, and advantame. Natural sweeteners can be further partitioned into nutritive, including polyols, rare sugars, honey, maple syrup, and agave, and nonnutritive, which include steviol glycosides and rebaudiosides, luo han guo (monk fruit), and thaumatin. We choose the foods we consume largely on their sensory properties, an area in which these sugar substitutes often fall short. Here, we discuss the most popular synthetic and natural sweeteners, with the goal of providing an understanding of differences in the sensory profiles of these sweeteners versus sucrose, that they are designed to replace, essential for the effectiveness of sugar reduction strategies. In addition, we break down the influence of these sweeteners on metabolism, and present results from a large survey of consumers’ opinions on these sweeteners. Consumer interest in clean label foods has driven a move toward natural sweeteners; however, neither natural nor synthetic sweeteners are metabolically inert. Identifying sugar replacements that not only closely imitate the sensory profile of sucrose but also exert advantageous effects on body weight and metabolism is critical in successfully the ultimate goals of reducing added sugar in the average consumer's diet. With so many options for sucrose replacement available, consumer opinion and cost, which vary widely with suagr replacements, will also play a vital role in which sweeteners are successful in widespread adoption.     

非营养型甜味剂安全性研究进展

甜味剂是能使食物具有甜味非糖类物质,目前世界上广泛使用甜味剂有20余种,我国已批准使用的约15种。非营养型甜味剂是指与蔗糖甜度相等时含量其热值低于蔗糖热值2%物质,该文介绍食品工业常用几种非营养型甜味剂:糖精钠、安赛蜜、阿斯巴甜、甜蜜素,对其安全性的研究进展进行论述,以便为选择合适甜味剂提供参考。     

Sweet processed foods in Brazil: use of sugar and sweeteners,inclusion of sugar claims and impact on nutritional profile

This study characterised the main sweet beverages and food products marketed in Brazil regarding (i) the addition of sugar/sweeteners, (ii) nutritional profile and (iii) sugar claims. Results revealed that most of the beverages had added sweeteners, while food products were mainly sweetened with sugar. Moreover, >90% of the powdered products had added sweeteners. ‘Zero sugar’ (46%) and ‘light’ (55%) were the most common sugar claims in sugar-free and reduced-sugar products, respectively. Powdered products, soya drinks and baked products included claims less frequently. Regarding the nutritional profile, beverages with sugar substitution had a proportionally greater reduction in the content of carbohydrates and calories (up to 99%, for both) in relation to food (<82% and <85%, respectively). The results suggest that reducing sugar in solid foods remains a greater challenge than in beverages and that this reduction has less impact on the final energy density of foods.     

Technological and Functional Applications of Low-Calorie Sweeteners from Lactic Acid Bacteria

ABSTRACT:  Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been extensively used for centuries as starter cultures to carry out food fermentations and are looked upon as burgeoning "cell factories" for production of host of functional biomolecules and food ingredients. Low-calorie sugars have been a recent addition and have attracted a great deal of interest of researchers, manufacturers, and consumers for varied reasons. These sweeteners also getting popularized as low-carb sugars have been granted generally recommended as safe (GRAS) status by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (USFDA) and include both sugars and sugar alcohols (polyols) which in addition to their technological attributes (sugar replacer, bulking agent, texturiser, humectant, cryoprotectant) have been observed to exert a number of health benefits (low calories, low glycemic index, anticariogenic, osmotic diuretics, obesity control, prebiotic). Some of these sweeteners successfully produced by lactic acid bacteria include mannitol, sorbitol, tagatose, and trehalose and there is a potential to further enhance their production with the help of metabolic engineering. These safe sweeteners can be exploited as vital food ingredients for development of low-calorie foods with added functional values especially for children, diabetic patients, and weight watchers.     

饮料中甜味剂的应用与食品安全

食品安全问题已经成为了一个普遍的社会问题,其中有很多的食品安全问题是由于非法添加造成的。甜味剂作为一种常用的添加剂,几乎涵盖了所有的食品,我国批准使用的甜味剂有15种。随着生活水平的不断提高,人们更加重视生命健康与饮食安全,因此需要科学的渠道,让人民大众了解食品添加剂与食品安全。通过调查各种甜味剂在榆林市市场上大部分饮料中的使用情况,本研究主要对5种常用甜味剂(甜蜜素、安赛蜜、阿斯巴甜、糖精钠、三氯蔗糖)的使用情况、存在的安全问题、如何规范使用等进行了概述。以期让消费者科学的了解甜味剂与食品安全,同时在食用或购买食品时更加有科学的依据。     

Sweetness Evaluation of Mixtures of Fructose with Saccharin, Aspartame or Acesulfame K

Some sensorial properties of synthetic sweeteners are limiting factors for use in low calorie soft drinks, By combining synthetic sweeteners with small fructose additions, these limitations can be overcome. Using paired comparison evaluation tests, nonlinear sweetness/concentration relations were established against sucrose, in acidified noncarbonated mineral water, for fructose, saccharin, aspartame and Acesulfame K. In binary combinations with fructose, sweetness additivity was demonstrated, for each of the three synthetic sweeteners. This is in contrast with literature reporting specific synergistic effects. By taking advantage of the high relative sweetness of fructose, low calorie soft drinks containing as little as 2–3% sugar could not be distinguished sensorially from traditional sucrose drinks.     

Dietary intakes of six intense sweeteners by Irish adults

This research investigated the intakes of six intense sweeteners: acesulfame-K (E950), aspartame (E951), cyclamate (E952), saccharin (E954), sucralose (E955), and steviol glycosides (E960) in the diets of Irish adults, using data from the National Adult Nutrition Survey. A food label survey that included products currently available on the Irish market supplemented the analysis. Sweetener intakes were investigated using three different exposure scenarios; beginning with a crude assessment which assumed that all foods permitted to contain the additives of interest always did contain them, and at their maximum permitted level (Tier 1). Refined assessments estimated intakes of the six sweeteners using food consumption data up to brand level with additive occurrence data from a survey of products currently available on the Irish market (Tier 2) and sweetener concentration data (Tier 3). Results of all exposure assessment scenarios demonstrate that intakes of each of the sweeteners of interest by the total population were below the relevant ADI level (mg kg^?1 bodyweight^?1), even by high consumers (P99). The three sweeteners consumed in highest amounts were acesulfame-k, aspartame, and sucralose. The main sources of these sweeteners in the diet were ‘cider and perry’, ‘energy reduced and no added sugar (ER and NAS) carbonated flavoured drinks’, ‘table-top sweeteners’, ‘dairy products’, ‘solid food supplements’, and ‘sauces’. Intakes of the six intense sweeteners are currently not a concern among Irish adults. However, exposure to these chemicals should be monitored on a regular basis due to evolving market and consumption patterns.     

Why Sugar Is Added to Food: Food Science 101

Avoiding too much sugar is an accepted dietary guidance throughout the world. The U.S. Nutrition Facts panel includes information on total sugars in foods. A focus on added sugars is linked to the concept of discretionary calories and decreasing consumption of added sugars or free sugars as a means to assist a consumer to identify foods that are nutrient‐dense. On March 14, 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed that including “added sugars” declaration on the Nutrition Facts panel would be another tool to help consumers reduce excessive discretionary calorie intake from added sugars. Through deductive reasoning, labeling added sugars is one tactic to potentially curb the obesity epidemic in the United States. This review discusses the functions of sugar in food and shows that the methods used to replace added sugars in foods can result in no reduction in calorie content or improvement in nutrient density. Without clear benefit to the consumer for added sugars labeling, this review highlights the complex business obstacles, costs, and consumer confusion resulting from the proposed rule.     

几种典型天然甜味剂的功能活性及食品加工应用

近年来,随着消费者对健康产品的需求,天然甜味剂成为食品加工中重要加工原料,主要原因是其高甜度、低热量、低升糖的特点。消费者认知的提升及企业对产品的不断开发共同促进了天然甜味剂在我国的发展。天然甜味剂不仅可以应用于食品生产,还具有调节肠道菌群、抗氧化、美白、保护神经、抗癌、抗病毒、抗糖化和抗糖尿病等功能活性,但我国对于此方面的开发和利用还不慎广泛。该研究将重点围绕几种典型天然甜味剂的功能活性进行综述,并对其在乳制品、饮料、焙烤食品、海产品等食品加工中的应用现状深入探讨,以期为天然甜味剂的扩大开发应用提供参考依据。     

Bulking agents in low calorie frozen dairy desserts

The use of intense sweeteners in the manufacture of low calorie frozen desserts has brought about the need to add bulking agents to replace the sugar omitted in such products. A bulking agent acts as a filler and reproduces the physical properties of sugar, but not its sweetness and caloric content. Careful attention must be paid to combining sweeteners (polyols) with bulking agents in order to regulate the freezing point of the mix, and to restrict the levels to those which do not impart off­flavours or create gastrointestinal distress. Some modifications in the freezing and serving conditions are needed with the addition of bulking agents. The newlmodified bulking agents need to be approved by the regulatory bodies to ensure their safety. There is a need to identify a low or non-caloric bulking agent with little or no laxative effect.     

Formulation and evaluation of dry dessert mix containing sweetener combinations using mixture response methodology

Reduced calorie foods are an important area for product development. Foods formulated for diabetics and/or weight reduction tend to replace bulk caloric sweeteners with high intensity sweeteners. A mixture experimental design was used to model the acceptability of a low calorie dessert mix sweetened with single, binary and tertiary combinations of saccharin, cyclamate and stevioside. The design included constraints to permit sweetener addition according to the limits of food laws. The dessert mixture had a 37% caloric reduction when compared to the sucrose sweetened pudding, and texture equivalent to commercial products was reproduced with the addition of 0.01 g/100 ml carrageenan. The most acceptable combination of the sweeteners tested was saccharin: cyclamate (0.755:0.245), but other combinations could be used to obtain an acceptable product taking cost of the ingredients into consideration. ©     

3种天然甜味剂的风味、生理功能及应用研究进展

大量研究数据表明肥胖、糖尿病和心脑血管疾病的发生与日常糖分摄入过多相关密切。因此,近年来高糖饮食引发的健康风险获得了各国政府与公众的极大关注,国际消费市场对传统甜味剂蔗糖替代品的需求急剧增长。由于消费者对化学合成甜味剂的安全性一直有所顾虑,甜度高、热量低、风味佳、兼具多重功能特性的天然甜味剂成为代糖产品开发研究的热点。目前已有部分口感与蔗糖接近的天然甜味剂产品实现了工业生产并应用于食品加工,在甜味剂行业展现广阔的市场前景。本研究主要针对应用潜力巨大的3种天然甜味剂甜菊糖苷、罗汉果甜苷与D-阿洛酮糖的风味、功能及在食品中的应用进行概述,为甜菊糖苷与罗汉果甜苷的风味改良以及D-阿洛酮糖的安全性评估等工作开展提供借鉴,以期促进天然甜味剂的食品应用深入研究。     

A COMPARISON OF ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS' STABILITY IN A LIME-LEMON FLAVORED CARBONATED BEVERAGE

Three intense sweeteners, aspartame, acesulfame‐K and sucralose, were incorporated singly in lime‐lemon flavored carbonated beverage in optimized concentrations on a sucrose equivalence basis at controlled pH conditions. The beverages were stored for 60 days at 4, 27 and 37C and the sweetener concentration determined by HPLC. The loss of aspartame was maximum (29.5%) while that of sucralose was minimum (1.9%) at the end of 60 days' storage at 37C. In the case of acesulfame‐K, the loss was 6.1%. Sucralose was more stable than the other sweeteners.     

Sugar replacement in sweetened bakery goods

This review presents the state‐of‐the‐art concerning the application of natural and artificial high‐intensity sweeteners, fructans and bulking agents such as polyols as sugar replacers in sweet‐baked goods and their effects on product characteristics. The recent much publicised attention given to weight gain of the population and its consequences on the occurrence of diet‐related diseases in developed countries has influenced the food manufacturers attempts to provide the consumer with reduced energy products. The replacement of sucrose in sweet bakery products by alternative natural or artificial sweeteners can be a challenging issue. Sucrose as a main ingredient in sweet bakery products contributes, aside from providing sweetness, to numerous processing and product characteristics. Intense sweeteners have a high sweetness compared with sucrose but lack in their contribution to the body of the product, whereas the replacement of sucrose with bulking sweeteners may result in products with a similar body but a lack in taste and flavour.     

Gas Chromatography‐Combustion‐Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry for Traceability and Authenticity in Foods and Beverages

As consumers demand more certainty over where their food and beverages originate from and the genuineness of ingredients, there is a need for analytical techniques that are able to provide data on issues such as traceability, authenticity, and origin of foods and beverages. One such technique that shows enormous promise in this area is gas chromatography‐combustion‐isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC‐C‐IRMS). As will be demonstrated in this review, GC‐C‐IRMS is able to be applied to a wide array of foods and beverages generating data on key food components such as aroma compounds, sugars, amino acids, and carbon dioxide (in carbonated beverages). Such data can be used to determine synthetic and natural ingredients; substitution of 1 ingredient for another (such as apple for pear); the use of synthetic or organic fertilizers; and origin of foods and food ingredients, including carbon dioxide. Therefore, GC‐C‐IRMS is one of the most powerful techniques available to detect fraudulent, illegal, or unsafe practices in the food and beverages industries and its increasing use will ensure that consumers may have confidence in buying authentic products of known origin.     

Safety assessment of 16 sweeteners for the Korean population using dietary intake monitoring and poundage method

ABSTRACT

A sweetener is a food additive that imparts a sweet taste to food products. Sweeteners have been increasingly used in Korea since the approval of sodium saccharin and d-sorbitol in 1962. Unlike food contaminants, humans are exposed to food additives only through the consumption of processed food products. For exposure assessments of sweeteners, the dietary intakes of food products containing acesulfame-K, aspartame, saccharin-Na, and sucralose were determined, and the resulting calculated estimated daily intake (EDI) values were compared directly with each additive’s ADI. The poundage method was used to calculate the daily intake per capita for 12 additional sweeteners, such as lactitol, for which appropriate analytical methods for food products do not exist. The risk, as evaluated by comparing the EDI with the ADI, was determined to be 2.9% for acesulfame-K, 0.8% for aspartame, 3.6% for saccharin-Na, 4.3% for steviol glycosides, and 2.1% for sucralose. No hazardous effect was predicted for the other 11 sweeteners, including lactitol.     

Special dietary foods

Abstract

If the present trend in consumer awareness of nutrition continues, the need for special dietary foods designed to correct nutritional imbalance is expected to increase in the coming years. However, this need cannot be met unless special dietary foods with sensory properties similar to those of traditional foods are developed.

Dietary foods that meet the special nutritional needs of people suffering abnormal physiological conditions, such as deficiency states and metabolic disorders, are reviewed. Significant progress has been made in this field, particularly in the area of low‐calorie foods. Much more needs to be done. Palatability of special dietary foods is still a major problem. With the expected approval of several special dietary ingredients (i.e., new intense sweeteners, low calorie fat substitutes, and low calorie bulking agents), the future of the special dietary industry appears bright.     

SWEETNESS EQUIVALENCE OF DIFFERENT SWEETENERS IN STRAWBERRY‐FLAVORED YOGURT

ABSTRACT

To successfully substitute sucrose for sweeteners, further studies must be carried out based on previous knowledge of sweetener concentration to determine the equivalent sweetness of such compounds. In this work, sweetness equivalence of strawberry‐flavored yogurt with different sweeteners and/or their combinations (aspartame, acesulfame‐K, cyclamate, saccharin, stevia and sucralose) and yogurt sweetened with 11.5% w/w sucrose was measured using the sensory magnitude estimation method. The sweetness concentrations equivalent to strawberry yogurt sweetened with 11.5% w/w sucrose in the tested sweeteners were 0.072% w/w for aspartame, 0.042% w/w for aspartame/acesulfame‐K (2:1), 0.064% w/w for cyclamate/saccharin, 0.043% w/w for cyclamate/saccharin (2:1)/stevia (1.8:1) and 0.30% w/w for sucralose. These results can promote the use of different sweetener combinations in strawberry‐flavored yogurt, specially acesulfame‐K and stevia, once they produce more pleasing in this product.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

This study provides some useful information, since there is no data in the literature about sweetness equivalence of sweeteners in yogurt, but only in simpler matrices such as pure water, juices, coffee and teas. The use of stevia blend presented several advantages such as increased sweetening power, demonstrating the potential of this natural sweetener. The magnitude estimation method has been successful in this study, being an important tool for development of new low‐calorie products. It may be noted that when evaluating different types of food using the same kinds of sweeteners, these promote distinct characteristics and that reflect directly on the sensory quality of the final product. Thus, such studies generate important information for the food industries working with dietetic food.