Food Additives: Sweeteners

Sweeteners, especially intense sweeteners, are added to foods to replace the sweetness normally provided by sugars without contributing significantly to available energy and are a means for consumers to control caloric or carbohydrate intake. Their addition to food can have beneficial effects as they aid in the prevention and control of diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. Of all the sweeteners, it is some of the intense sweeteners that periodically become the focus of public interest, and sometimes, controversy. Sweeteners, like other food additives undergo a comprehensive safety assessment before being permitted in the food supply. The available scientific information, evaluated independently by national food regulatory agencies and nongovernment panels of internationally recognized experts, has consistently concluded that dietary intake of the currently approved intense sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin, and steviol glycosides, detailed in this article, is safe.