Food Safety Focus (220th Issue, November 2024) – Article 2
The Sweet Journey of Non-nutritive Sweeteners
Reported by Ms. Sosanna WONG, Scientific Officer
Risk Assessment Section, Centre for Food Safety
We all have an innate desire for sweetness, a taste preference that spans all ages and cultures. Historically, our ancestors relied on sweetness originating from natural sugars found in fruits, honey and other plants for energy and essential nutrients. As our dietary landscape has evolved, some of us are turning to food containing low- or no-calorie sweeteners (i.e. non-nutritive sweeteners) as alternatives to sugars, hoping to reduce caloric intake or better manage blood glucose levels. In this article, let's savour the sweetness of some non-nutritive sweeteners.
The Rise of Non-nutritive Sweeteners
Saccharin is recognised as the world's first artificial sweetener, accidentally discovered in the late 19th century. Saccharin is approximately 200 to 700 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). Containing no calories, it provided an alternative to those looking to satisfy their sweet tooth without the caloric baggage of sugar. Saccharin quickly gained popularity, especially during World War I and II when sugar was in short supply. However, saccharin is known for its bitter aftertaste, which limits its applications in food.
Following the introduction of saccharin, cyclamate was discovered in 1937 as another no-calorie sweetener. Cyclamate is about 30 times sweeter than sucrose. Whilst it is not as sweet as saccharin, cyclamate complements saccharin well. When blended with saccharin, cyclamate can help to mitigate the bitter aftertaste associated with saccharin, making the combination more palatable than either one alone.
Aspartame is another classic sweetener. It was discovered in 1965. Composed of two amino acids — aspartic acid and phenylalanine, aspartame has a caloric value of 4 kcal/g, which equals that of sucrose. However, since aspartame is approximately 200 times sweeter than sucrose, adding only a small amount to food can replace sugar to give the desired sweetness, rendering it practically a non-nutritive sweetener. One of the drawbacks of aspartame is that it is not heat stable and loses its sweetness when heated, limiting its use in baked goods. Additionally, aspartame poses specific risks to individuals with phenylketonuria (PKU), an inherited disease that prevents proper metabolism of the amino acid phenylalanine, leading to accumulation of potentially harmful levels of phenylalanine and serious brain damage. Therefore, individuals concerned are advised to check the ingredient list to identify the presence of aspartame and avoid it.
The Latest Invention: Advantame
After the creation of aspartame, there were calls for developing second generation ‘amino-acid-based’ sweeteners with more desirable characteristics, including higher heat stability and higher sweetness potency. Neotame developed in the 1980s and advantame developed in 2008 are two such aspartame analogues but with no calorie value.
Neotame is derived from aspartame that is approximately 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sucrose. Neotame is heat stable, making it suitable for use in baked goods.
Advantame is a derivative of aspartame made from aspartame and vanillin (an extract of the vanilla bean) but is generally more heat stable than aspartame. Advantame has undergone safety evaluation by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), and it is the most recent non-nutritive sweetener included in the Codex General Standard for Food Additives.
Despite being derivatives of aspartame, JECFA concluded that the formation of phenylalanine from the normal use of neotame and advantame would not be significant to individuals with PKU.
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Profile of Advantame International Numbering System (INS) number: 969 |
Other Non-nutritive Sweeteners
Besides, non-nutritive sweeteners also encompass acesulfame potassium, alitame, aspartame-acesulfame salt and sucralose, along with certain plant-derived options such as steviol glycosides and thaumatin. All these sweeteners have been evaluated by JECFA and are determined safe for food use.
Figure : The history of some non-nutritive sweeteners over the years (not to scale)
Do Non-nutritive Sweeteners Help to Control Body Weight?
Despite the appeal of non-nutritive sweeteners and the long history of their safe use, there are ongoing debates about their impact on health and weight management. The latest World Health Organization (WHO) guideline on the use of non-sugar sweeteners recommends that non-sugar sweeteners not be used as a means of achieving weight control or reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases. This highlights the importance of considering the broader context of dietary habits and lifestyle choices.
A more balanced approach to reducing sweetness involves choosing foods and beverages with less or no added sugars or sweeteners. Consumers are encouraged to scrutinise food labels to make informed choices that align with their health goals.
In the next article, we will continue our sweet journey with nutritive sweeteners – polyols.