Sugar Substitutes: Aspartame, Acesulfame K, and Other Types of Artificial Sweeteners |
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AspartameIn 1981, after more than a decade of extensive safety testing, the Food and Drug Administration approved another sugar substitute. Known as aspartame, this sweetener is marketed under the names NutraSweet and Equal. It is comprised of two amino acids (aspartic acid and phenylalanine). Aspartame tastes very similar to sugar itself, offers 200 times its sweetness, and has no caloric value. Many products contain aspartame, like baked goods, canned foods, puddings, gelatins, frozen desserts, beverage mixes, hot cocoa, diet soft drinks, and chewing gum. It is not heat stable, so products using aspartame must be ones that do not require much cooking or baking. NutraSweet (Equal) is also available as a tabletop sweetener, packaged in blue and available for adding to beverages like coffee and tea and to be sprinkled over the top of cereal and yogurt. Controversies regarding the use of this sugar substitute arose, and safety testing continued, but no research has yet indicated that this sweetener is unsafe, especially when used in moderate portions. Guidelines set by the FDA for aspartame use far exceed the amounts commonly consumed by most people. An average-sized adult would have to consume more than fifteen (12-ounce) cans of diet soft drink made with aspartame in order to reach the limits set by the FDA. Other concerns surrounding the use of aspartame in the diet include those affecting a group of people who may lack the enzyme needed to metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine. This condition, called PKUphenylketonuria, is genetic and rare, but it can be dangerous if this amino acid is consumed. (Babies are screened for this genetic abnormality at birth.) Because of this, labels are placed on all foods indicating that these products contain phenylalanine. |
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Acesulfame KIn the late 1980s, another sugar substitute was introduced for use in dry and prepared foods, desserts, candies, soft drinks, chewing gum, and as a tabletop sweetener. This substitute, known as Acesulfame K (marketed as Sunette and Sweet One), is also 200 times sweeter than sugar, but because of an occasional aftertaste, it is often combined with other- sweeteners. Acesulfame K provides no calories, is not metabolized by the body, and is excreted in the urine. This substitute also has been extensively studied for safety but has as of yet shown no toxic effects. PKU-phenylketonuria is a rare genetic disease that does not allow certain people to metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine properly. People with this condition should avoid products containing NutraSweet (aspartame). Other Types of Artificial SweetenersBesides the possible reintroduction of cyclamate, other sweeteners are currently being considered for use in our country. These include sucralose and alitame. Sucralose is actually a low-calorie sweetener made from sugar. It is about 600 times as sweet as sugar and contributes no calories. Highly stable during food processing, this sweetener makes a good choice for use in baked goods. Currently, sucralose can be found in over twenty-five countries outside the United States. Alitame, a sweetener made from amino acids, offers a taste 2,000 times sweeter than sugar. This product can be useful in cooking, baking, in beverages, as a tabletop sweetener, and in frozen desserts. |
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