What is Sucralose and is it safe?
Sucralose was discovered in 1976 and the FDA approved it for use in food and beverages in 1998. Sucralose is 600 times sweeter than sugar and unlike aspartame it is appropriate for most home cooking and baking recipes because it won’t breakdown when heated. Sucralose is made by exchanging three chlorine atoms for hydroxyl (OH) groups on the sucrose molecule. Sucralose is not digested and therefore doesn’t provide calories. However some of it is absorbed into the body. By and large sucralose is urinated out of the body within a few days. Some concern has been expressed by the public regarding the safety of sucralose. Despite several research studies suggesting that sucralose is safe for general use, some argue that not enough is known about long term consumption of sucralose and whether or not some of the chrorine can be released and be problematic like other chlorine based molecules. Based on this, sucralose continues to be a controversial sweetening agent.
What is Acesulfame K?
Acesulfame K was approved for use by the FDA in 1988 and has an intensity of sweetness about 250 times that of sucrose. Acesulfame is used as a sweetener in many countries other than the United States and it appears to be usable cold and hot food preparation. It is considered safe sweetener and is marketed under the name SunetteTM.
What is Stevia and can it be used in foods?
Stevia is not an artificial sweetener as it is derived from a South American shrub. Although it can provide a sweet taste to foods, at this time the FDA does not recognize Stevia as a safe food additive. For this reason Stevia can not be used as a sweetening ingredient by the food industry in the United States, however it can be sold as a dietary supplement. Stevia was recently approved to be used foods and beverages in Australia and New Zealand which might suggest that the US FDA could be considering its use as such in the United States.
What are Sugar Alcohols?
Since these substances can be found in plants sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, mannitol, and maltitol are recognized as artificial sweeteners. Sugar alcohols are used mainly to sweeten sugar-free candies, cookies, and chewing gums since that will not promote the formation of cavities like sugars will.
Recent Comments