Food Safety and Technology Mar. 2005 FST-16
Sugars and Sweeteners in Foods
Aurora A. Saulo, Extension Specialist in Food Technology
ur quality of life is highly dependent on our taste Reduced-calorie and low-calorie sweeteners Osensory system. Taste is the final check used to evaluate the quality of a food, and we select foods guided Polyols primarily by the emotions of pleasure or displeasure ex Also called “sugar alcohols” or sugar replacers, polyols perienced upon tasting them. Research on taste indicates may be classified as monosaccharide-derived (sorbitol, that “sweet” is an innately preferred sensation—infants erythritol, xylitol, mannitol), disaccharide-derived favor sweetness when presented with the other basic (maltitol, isomalt, lactitol), and polysaccharide-derived tastes (salty, bitter, sour) or even umami, the so-called (hydrogenated starch hydrolysates). They are carbohy fifth basic taste, characterized as “savory.” This recog drates imparting a sweet sensation but are neither sug nition of the importance of sweetness confirms why ars nor alcohols. sweet foods are by far the most popular treats. Polyols are mostly reduced-calorie sweeteners and Sugars are forms of monosaccharide. Examples of may be used in the same amount as table sugar but are monosaccharides are glucose (also called dextrose), fruc frequently used in conjunction with other sweeteners to tose, and galactose. When two monosaccharides com achieve the desired sweetness level and taste. With fewer bine, a disaccharide is formed. For example, when glu calories than sucrose, they provide sweetness to sugar cose and fructose join together, the disaccharide sucrose, free cookies, candies, chewing gum, baked goods, ice or table sugar, results. Maltose is composed of two glu cream, toothpastes, mouthwashes, breath mints, and cose molecules, while lactose (milk sugar) is formed by pharmaceuticals. one molecule of glucose and one molecule of galactose. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows the All sugars are carbohydrates and contain four calories use of the following caloric values for polyol sugar re per gram. placers: To most people, “sweet” is synonymous with table sugar (sucrose), which is derived from sugarcane or sugar Sweetness beets and contains 16 calories per teaspoon. relative to Polyol (cal/g) sucrose (%) Fructose is commonly referred to as “fruit sugar” because of its presence in fruits. Fructose as a product is Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates 3.0 25Ð50 available in crystalline form (from cornstarch), as liq Sorbitol 2.6 50Ð70 uid honey, or as liquid high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) Xylitol 2.4 100 Maltitol 2.1 75 when combined with glucose. HFCS is used in the prepa Isomalt 2.0 45Ð65 ration of many beverages. Lactitol 2.0 30Ð40 Mannitol 1.6 50Ð70 Erythritol 0.2 60Ð80
Published by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) and issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Andrew G. Hashimoto, Director/Dean, Cooperative Extension Service/CTAHR, University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96822. An equal opportunity/affirmative action institution providing programs and services to the people of Hawai‘i without regard to race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, arrest and court record, sexual orientation, or status as a covered veteran. CTAHR publications can be found on the Web site
Polyols also add bulk and texture to foods, provide included in the total carbohydrate content in the Nutri a cooling effect or “cool” taste, help retain moisture in tion Facts panel of the product label. If the terms “sugar foods, do not lose sweetness, and do not cause brown free” or “no added sugar” are used, the sugar alcohol ing when heated. Because molds do not grow well on content must be declared separately under carbohydrates polyols, they may contribute to longer shelf life of foods. in the Nutrition Facts panel. Some food manufacturers They are naturally occurring in many fruits and bever are using the new descriptions “net carb,” “low carb,” ages, but for commercial uses they are made from other or “impact carb,” where net carbohydrate is calculated carbohydrates, such as starch, sucrose, and glucose. The by subtracting carbohydrates from fiber and sugar FDA considers the sugar alcohols listed above as either alcohols from the total carbohydrate. FDA has not de generally recognized as safe (GRAS) or approved food fined these new terms, and this calculation is still being additives. debated in the scientific community. Polyols are incompletely absorbed from the small intestine into the bloodstream, producing a lower glyce Tagatose mic response (i.e., a lesser effect on blood glucose) than Tagatose is a low-carbohydrate sweetener contributing sucrose or glucose. When absorbed, they are metabo 1.5 calories per gram, and it is especially suitable as a lized to energy with little or no production of insulin. In flavor enhancer at low doses. Technically known as D theory, polyols may be useful to diabetics, but it is ad tagatose, it is a white, crystalline powder that is pre vised that diabetics first consult with their physician, di pared from lactose. It was first launched in the United etitian, or other health professional before using polyols States in May 2003 with FDA notification as a GRAS in meal plans. Physicians and other health professionals ingredient. It was approved for use as a general-purpose should also be consulted before the use of polyols in sweetener in Korea in 2003 and in Australia and New weight management. To date, there is no conclusive evi Zealand in April 2004. Its safety was confirmed by the dence that glycemic index is related to weight control. Joint FAO/WHO Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) Unabsorbed polyols continue to the large intestine, in June 2004 with no limited acceptable daily intake where they are fermented by bacteria. Some individuals (ADI), JECFA’s safest category for a food ingredient. who consume excessive amounts of polyols may expe Other regulatory approvals are currently under way in rience gastrointestinal symptoms, such as gas and laxa major markets worldwide. tive effects, similar to reactions to high-fiber foods and Tagatose is ideal for use in diet soft drinks because beans. The American Dietetic Association advises that of its synergistic flavor-enhancing effect when used in consuming more than 50 grams per day of sorbitol or 20 combination with other high-intensity sweeteners such grams per day of mannitol may cause diarrhea. In such as acesulfame-K, sucralose, and aspartame. Sweetness cases, the amount consumed on a single occasion should onset occurs rapidly, and bitterness is reduced. Taga be reduced. Consequently, labels of polyol-containing tose is found to enhance mint and lemon flavors in chew products must bear the statement, “Excess consumption ing gums and mints, toffee flavor, and creaminess in may have a laxative effect.” some dairy product applications. It is pH-stable in acidic Polyols are also non-cariogenic—they do not pro products, such as carbonated beverages and yogurts. It mote tooth decay because bacteria in the mouth do not performs well in frostings because of its easy crystalli metabolize and convert the sweetener into plaque or zation properties. Tagatose may be used in small amounts harmful acids that cause tooth decay. The U.S. Food and in baking applications to increase moistness and flavor Drug Administration (FDA) authorizes the use of this while maintaining sweetness, but it caramelizes or claim on labels of products containing sugar alcohols. browns more readily than sucrose. Xylitol is found even to inhibit oral bacteria. This is the Tagatose behaves like fructose in the body, but only reason for the use of polyols in many sugarless mints 15–20 percent of tagatose is absorbed in the small intes and chewing gums. tine. Due to this incomplete absorption, tagatose has The name of the polyol used in a product is listed in minimal effect on blood glucose and insulin levels. The the ingredient statement. The term “sugar alcohol” must rest of the ingested tagatose proceeds to the large intes be used if more than one polyol is used. Polyols are also tine where it acts as a prebiotic, promoting the produc
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tion of butyrate and lactic acid bacteria (considered sweet taste with no lingering aftertaste. It is non-cari “good” bacteria), which are essential in maintaining a ogenic, is stable under high temperatures, and has an healthy digestive system. Like other low-digestibility excellent shelf life. It is used as a sweetener in many carbohydrates and dietary fibers, tagatose is fermented foods, including chewing gums, baked goods, dessert in the colon to short-chain fatty acids that decrease acid and dairy products, alcoholic beverages, canned foods, ity and may contribute to a healthy epithelium in the and candies—all told, in more than 4,000 products in large intestine. These short-chain fatty acids are then about 90 countries including Australia, the UK, Canada, almost completely absorbed and metabolized. This fer and Germany. Acesulfame potassium is often used as a mentation, however, may result in mild gastrointestinal blend with other sweeteners to achieve a more sugar discomfort (e.g., flatulence and laxation) in some sensi like taste with the finished product containing about 40 tive individuals, just as high-fiber carbohydrates do. percent less total sweetener added. It is not metabolized Tagatose is also non-cariogenic. The FDA has ap or stored in the body, being quickly absorbed and then proved the use of dental claims on products containing excreted unchanged. tagatose provided that the products satisfy all the re The FDA first granted the use of acesulfame potas quirements for a tooth-friendly product. The approved sium in soft drinks in July 1988 and has since reaffirmed claims may state “Tagatose sugar does not promote tooth its safety on several occasions until granting its gen decay” and “Tagatose sugar may reduce the risk of tooth eral-use approval in December 2003 with no restrictions decay.” Products containing up to 0.5 gram per serving for any segment of the population, including pregnant of tagatose may be labeled “sugar free,” while products women and diabetics. Use of acesulfame potassium does with less than 3.33 grams per serving may be labeled not require a warning label or information statement. It “zero calorie.” has been used in Europe since 1983, and the European Union’s Scientific Committee for Food (SCF) has ac Trehalose cepted its use in foods and beverages. JECFA has also Trehalose is a disaccharide consisting of two glucose found it safe. molecules. It is found in common foods such as honey, Like the FDA, JECFA set an acceptable daily intake mushrooms, and shrimp and is naturally produced by (ADI) of 15 mg/kg body weight as the amount of this the body. It is half as sweet as sucrose, provides sus ingredient a person can safely consume each day for an tained energy, and elicits a very low insulin response. entire lifetime. This means that a 70-kg (154-lb) person Trehalose may be used in foods and beverages such as would have to consume about 1.05 grams of acesulfame 1 fruit juices, white chocolate chips, nutrition bars, and potassium per day, or about 210 grams sugar (about ⁄2 dehydrated fruits and vegetables. pound), or the equivalent of about two gallons beverage It is heat stable, and in addition to being a sugar, it per day. Because acesulfame potassium is a high-inten also stabilizes proteins, or prevents protein aggregation, sity sweetener that is used in very small amounts, even making it useful as a biological preservative. Trehalose if it were the only low-calorie sweetener used today, the protects and preserves cell structure in foods and may daily intake by a heavy food and beverage consumer be useful in freezing and thawing processes by main would be only 3.8 mg/kg body weight, which is much taining a desired texture. lower than the ADI of 15 mg/kg body weight. The FDA has given trehalose a GRAS designation. The results of several long-term animal studies us It is approved for use in Japan, Taiwan, and Korea, and ing much higher amounts of acesulfame potassium than it may be used in the preservation of freeze-dried prod are normally consumed by humans indicated no evidence ucts in the United Kingdom. Trehalose is commercially of cancers or tumors. There is also no evidence of po prepared from starch and is available as Ascend™. tential health concern from the 10 mg of potassium in a packet of acesulfame potassium table-top sweetener. For Acesulfame potassium comparison, a banana may contain 400 mg potassium Also known as acesulfame-K or “Ace-K,” acesulfame and a sweet potato 390 mg. In addition, there have been potassium is a high-intensity, non-nutritive sweetener no documented cases of allergic reactions to acesulfame that is 200 times sweeter than sucrose. It imparts a clean, potassium.
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Acesulfame potassium is sold under the brand name tions such as the American Medical Association, the Sunett™. American Dietetic Association, and the American Dia betes Association have reviewed research on aspartame Aspartame and also concluded that it is safe. The FDA has estab Aspartame is a nutritive sweetener containing 4 calo lished an ADI for aspartame of 50 mg/kg body weight. ries per gram. Because it is 200 times sweeter than su This ADI is equivalent to a daily dietary intake for a crose, however, very little aspartame is needed to im 150-lb adult of about 20 cans of soft drink, 42 servings part the same sweetness as sugar, resulting in minimal of sugar-free gelatin, or 97 packets of low-calorie table calories added to foods. Aspartame completely breaks top sweetener—all much higher than normal levels of down upon digestion into small amounts of methanol consumption. For a 50-lb child, the ADI is equivalent to and the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine. a daily consumption of 6 cans of soft drink, 11 servings These components are then absorbed into the blood and of sugar-free gelatin, and 32 packets of low-calorie table used by the body in exactly the same ways as when they top sweetener over a lifetime. In terms of sweetness, 1 come from other foods and beverages. No accumula this ADI is equivalent to consuming about 1 ⁄2 pounds tion of aspartame or its components occurs in the body of sugar daily for an entire lifetime, which is obviously over time. too high a level of sweetness consumption for any adult. Aspartame has a clean, sugar-like taste, enhances Occasional consumption of aspartame greater than the fruit and citrus flavors, can be safely used under heat ADI has been shown to have no adverse health effects. with some loss of sweetness at higher temperatures, and Results of extensive market research studies indicate that is non-cariogenic. It is primarily responsible for the 9 out of 10 people consume less than 10 percent of the growth of the low-calorie and reduced-calorie product ADI. It must also be remembered, however, that chil market in the past two decades and is today an impor dren, especially those under 2 years of age, need ad tant component of thousands of foods and beverages. equate calories for growth and development. Because aspartame helps impart a good, sweet-tasting Aspartame is available under the brand names flavor to low-calorie and reduced-calorie foods and bev Nutrasweet®, Equal®, Spoonful®, and Equal-Measure®. erages, it is helpful to diabetics and beneficial in weight Aspartame has had its share of allegations and un control by managing caloric intake while still maintain founded claims, including being linked to tumors, can ing a healthful diet. cer, epilepsy, headaches, multiple sclerosis, and weight The FDA approved aspartame first in 1981 for use increase. For additional information about these claims, in table-top low-calorie sweeteners and powdered mixes see the CTAHR publication Falsifications and Facts and later in 1983 for carbonated beverages. It was given about Aspartame (http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/ approval for use in all foods and beverages in 1996. freepubs/pdf/FST-3.pdf). Aspartame is considered one of the most thoroughly researched food additives in the world. The FDA con Neotame tinues to confirm its safe use by the general public, in This is a non caloric sweetener consisting of two amino cluding diabetics, pregnant and nursing women, and acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. It has a clean, children. People with a rare hereditary disease known sugar-like taste and is non-cariogenic. It is 30–40 times as phenylketonuria (PKU) must control their phenyla sweeter than aspartame, or about 8,000 times sweeter lanine intake from all sources, including aspartame. than sucrose. Through normal biological processes, Products sweetened with aspartame must carry a state neotame is quickly metabolized, fully eliminated, and ment on the label that they contain phenylalanine. does not accumulate in the body. No special labeling for Aspartame is used in more than 100 countries in PKU is required. cluding Canada, Japan, the UK, and Germany. It is found Neotame is used in many cooking and baking ap in more than 6,000 products and is estimated to be con plications. It is found in chewing gums, carbonated soft sumed by more than 200 million people worldwide. drinks, frozen desserts and novelties, yogurt-type prod JEFCA and the EU’s SCF have also found aspartame ucts, refrigerated and non-refrigerated ready-to-drink safe for food use. In the United States, health organiza beverages, and puddings and fillings.
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Neotame also has unique flavor-enhancement prop the American Medical Association, and the American erties. It prolongs flavor and sweetness in chewing gum Cancer Society. and masks flavors unique to soy-based, nutritionally fortified products, vitamins, and minerals, even at non Sucralose sweetening levels. Possible benefits of these properties The only non-caloric sweetener prepared from sucrose, are cost reduction and better sensory acceptance quali sucralose is manufactured through a patented multi-step ties. process that replaces three hydroxyl groups of the su In July 2002 the FDA allowed its use as a general crose molecule with three chloride groups. These tightly purpose sweetener for the general population, including bound chloride groups make sucralose exceptionally pregnant and nursing women, diabetics, and children. stable and indigestible, which makes sucralose free of Neotame is also approved for use in Australia and New dietary calories. Sucralose is a sweetener that is 600 times Zealand. sweeter than sugar with a clean, sugar-like taste and no lingering objectionable aftertaste. It can be used any Saccharin where sugar is used without losing its sugar-taste prop Saccharin has been in use for over a century to sweeten erties even when heated and stored for a long time. Thus foods and beverages without adding calories or carbo it is now used as a spoonful-for-spoonful replacement hydrates. It was especially useful in Europe during the for sugar in eating, baking, cooking, and other sugar two world wars, when sugar was in short supply. It has applications. been an integral component of the lifestyle of many In 1998, sucralose was given the broadest initial people for weight control and caloric or carbohydrate approval by the FDA for a food ingredient for use in 15 intake restriction. Like most other low-caloric sweeten foods and beverages. The FDA expanded its use in 1999 ers, saccharin helps prevent the formation of dental cavi as a general-purpose sweetener without excluding any ties, compared to sugar. population subgroup, such as pregnant or breastfeeding In 1977, FDA proposed a ban on saccharin based women, children, and diabetics. It is now used in more on studies that linked its use to bladder cancer. Research than 3,500 products in over 60 countries, including methodologies involved the use of a sensitive strain of Canada, Australia, and Mexico. laboratory rats fed with extremely high doses of sac Like the other low-calorie sweeteners, sucralose charin. Although the United States Congress overrode passes quickly through the body relatively unchanged the ban because of the need at that time for a low-calo and is not converted to energy. It is not recognized by rie alternative to sucrose, a warning label was required the body as either a sugar or a carbohydrate. Sucralose on products containing saccharin. In May 2000, due to is also non-cariogenic because it is an inert ingredient a preponderance of scientific results obtained from nearly that cannot be acted upon by bacteria in the mouth. It is 20 years of studies, the government removed saccharin also stable over a wide range of temperatures over time, from its list of substances reasonably anticipated to be and it is used in many applications such as canned fruit, human carcinogens. The federal requirement for a warn low-calorie beverages, apple sauce, baked goods, nutri ing label on products containing saccharin has also been tional supplements, and medical foods. removed. Saccharin is not metabolized by the body and Sucralose joins the other food ingredients that have does not react with DNA, lacking two of the major char been extensively studied. More than 100 scientific stud acteristics of a classical carcinogen. ies over a 20-year period were conducted to assess its Saccharin continues to be used in a wide range of safety regarding cancer, reproduction and fertility, ge low-calorie and sugar-free foods and beverages. It is netic effects, birth defects, immunology, the central ner found in soft drinks, baked goods, chewing gum, canned vous system, and metabolism. Scrutiny using the high fruit, salad dressings, and also in cosmetic products and est scientific standards has indicated that sucralose does pharmaceuticals. It is approved for use in more than 100 not cause cancer, genetic defects, birth defects, or tooth countries. Its safety has been affirmed by JEFCA and decay. In addition, sucralose has no effect on the im EU-SCF. Its use is also supported by many health orga mune system, female or male reproduction, blood glu nizations including the American Diabetes Association, cose levels, insulin production, and carbohydrate me
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tabolism. The added chloride is a natural component of beverages. It is the least intense of all the commercially many everyday foods and beverages, such as natural acceptable high-intensity sweeteners. It is stable under waters, lettuce, and tomatoes, and is safe. The safety of a wide range of temperatures and has a long shelf life. sucralose is confirmed by JECFA, EU-SCF, Food Stan Because of its solubility in liquids, it is attractive for dards Australia/New Zealand, the Health Protection use in beverages and a variety of other foods including Branch of Health and Welfare Canada, and other regu some baked goods. When used with other low-calorie latory bodies in Asia and South America. Sucralose may sweeteners, particularly saccharin, a product sweeter be consumed safely every day without concern of ex than the combination of the individual sweeteners re ceeding a maximum safety level. Products containing sults. Most people do not metabolize cyclamate. sucralose are not required to carry a warning label. Cyclamate is approved for use in Canada and in more Sucralose is currently marketed under the name than 50 countries in Asia, South America, Europe, and Splenda®. Africa. Because of a study suggesting cyclamate may be related to the development of tumors in rats, cycla mate was banned for use in the United States in 1970. In Other low-calorie sweeteners of the future 1984, the FDA’s Cancer Assessment Committee re Alitame viewed scientific evidence and concluded that cyclamate Sold under the name Aclame™, alitame is a sweetener is not a carcinogen. The National Academy of Sciences formed from the amino acids L-aspartic acid and D-ala reaffirmed this conclusion in 1985. There is currently a nine and a new amine. It is 2,000 times sweeter than petition to the FDA to have cyclamate approved again sucrose, with a clean, sweet taste, and has synergistic for use in the United States. sweetening properties when combined with other low calorie sweeteners. Because it is a high intensity sweet Dihydrochalcones ener, its caloric contribution to the diet is insignificant. Also known as DHCs, dihydrochalcones are non-caloric The aspartic acid component of alitame is completely sweeteners derived from the bioflavonoids of citrus fruits metabolized in the body. The alanine amide component that are 300 to 2,000 times sweeter than sucrose. DHCs passes through the body with minimal metabolic give a delayed sweet taste with a licorice aftertaste. Neo- changes. DHC from Seville oranges is 1,500 times sweeter than Alitame is highly soluble in water and is also pH sucrose and currently has the greatest potential for use and heat-stable. It has an excellent shelf life but may in foods such as chewing gum and candies and other produce off-flavors under prolonged storage in some applications such as toothpaste, mouthwash, and some standard acidic conditions. It may be used in products pharmaceuticals. where sweeteners are currently used, such as baked DHCs are approved for use in the United States as a goods, hot and cold beverages, fruit preparations, chew flavoring in baked goods, beverages, chewing gum, fro ing gum, and pharmaceuticals. zen dairy products, candies, and sauces. These sweeten Pfizer, Inc., the company that discovered alitame, ers are approved for use in the European Union and Zim has completed extensive animal and human studies to babwe. support its claim of alitame’s safety for human consump tion and has petitioned the FDA for approval for its use Stevioside in a broad range of foods and beverages. Alitame is ap Stevioside is a low-calorie sweetener derived from Stevia proved for use in a variety of foods and beverages in rebaudiana, a South American plant, and is 300 times Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and the People’s Re sweeter than sucrose. The plant leaves have been used public of China. Approval for its use is being sought for centuries in Paraguay to sweeten bitter beverages from regulatory bodies of major countries worldwide. and to make tea. Stevioside is highly soluble in water, very sweet in taste, and synergistic with other sweeten Cyclamate ers. It exhibits a menthol-like, bitter aftertaste that di Cyclamate is a non-caloric sweetener that is 30 times minishes with increasing purity of the extract. sweeter than sucrose and is widely used in foods and The metabolism of stevioside in humans has not yet
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been investigated, but results from limited studies in aftertaste. It has synergistic sweetening effects with sac laboratory rats indicate that some is excreted unchanged. charin, acesulfame-K, and stevioside. Although it can Most ingested stevioside is degraded by intestinal bac not be used in baked or boiled goods, it may be used as teria. a flavor extender for some cosmetic and pharmaceuti Since the 1970s, stevioside has been used as a sweet cal products. ener in Japan, by itself or with other sweeteners in bev Thaumatin is approved for use in foods and bever erages, pickles, dried seafoods, flavorings, confections, ages in Israel, Japan, and the European Union. It is ap chewing gum, and table-top sweeteners. It is also ap proved for use in the United States as a flavor enhancer proved for use as a sweetener in South Korea and Bra in beverages, jams and jellies, condiments, milk prod zil. In 1999, JECFA and EU-SCF reviewed available ucts, yogurt, cheese, instant coffee and tea, and chew studies and concluded that current scientific informa ing gum. Thaumatin is available under the brand name tion is not acceptable to support its use as a sweetener. A Thalin™ subsequent review by JECFA in 2004 resulted in the granting of a temporary designation for stevioside of an Be prudent acceptable daily intake of 2 mg/kg body weight. To re More than 180 million adult Americans now consume move its temporary designation, JECFA is requiring, by low-calorie or sugar-free foods and beverages. This num 2007, additional information on the pharmacological ber has doubled within the past decade. Calorie-con effects of stevioside on humans, as well as analytical sciousness is part of today’s lifestyle, and reduced-calo data. Citing insufficient testing, the FDA has not allowed rie, low-calorie, and non-caloric sweeteners are a major the use of stevioside in the United States as a sweetener component of this lifestyle. The growing consumer de food additive, but it may be sold as a dietary supple mand challenges food manufacturers to provide a wider ment without any reference to sweetness. selection of good tasting, more stable, more economi cally available, and safe foods and beverages. Glycyrrhizin Health professionals continue to assert that exces Glycyrrhizin is a non-caloric sweetener that is extracted sive caloric intake leads to weight gain. People should from licorice root and is 50 to 100 times sweeter than avoid over-consumption of any food, including those sucrose. Because of its pronounced licorice flavor, its with reduced or low-calorie sweeteners. As a helpful step uses are limited. It is used as a flavoring in tobacco, in achieving a lower caloric intake, one recommenda pharmaceuticals, and some confectionary products. It is tion from to the U.S. government’s Dietary Guidelines also used as a foaming agent in some non-alcoholic bev for Americans is to “choose the foods and beverages to erages. moderate your intake of sugars.” Thus, reduced-calorie Glycyrrhizin is approved for use in the United States and low-calorie sweeteners are part of a healthy lifestyle as a flavor and flavor enhancer. that includes a variety of nutritious foods in moderate portions combined with a program of appropriate physi Thaumatim cal activity. Thaumatin is a mixture of intensely sweet proteins ex tracted with water from the katemfe fruit (Thaumato Resources coccus daniellii) of West Africa. The fruit contains from American Diabetes Association: www.diabetes.org one to three black seeds surrounded by a gel and capped American Dietetic Association: www.eatright.org by a membranous sac containing the sweet material. Calorie Control Council: www.caloriecontrol.org Thaumatin is 2,000 times sweeter than sucrose, with a Institute of Food Technologists: www.ift.org slow-onset but lingering sweet taste and a licorice-like International Food Information Council: www.ific.org
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