The term 'Intense sweeteners' (IS) or low caloric sweeteners denotes a variety of substances of plant origin or obtained by chemical synthesis. They are used in the food industry for their high sweetening power and their low caloric value. There is a sharp rise in the consumption of IS over the last two decades as a replacement for table sugar (sucrose) as table sugar is being labeled as “unhealthy.” US FDA has granted a “generally regarded as safe” status to six IS viz .
Aspartame, Saccharine, Sucralose, Neotame, Acesulfame-K, and Stevia. Here we compare the characteristics of Aspartame and Stevia, which are the most commonly used low calorific sweeteners. Characteristic Aspartame Stevia Chemical Composition Aspartic acid and Phenylalanine Steviol glycosides Sweetness compared to Table sugar 80-200 times 100-300 times Metabolism Hydrolyzed into aspartic acid, phenylalanine, methanol in…
