Sweet options: The real story behind the new "sugars."
1983
Alternatives to sugar as a sweetening agent are discussed. Aspartame (APM), marketed under the brand name NutraSweet, is the newest non-nutritive sweetener and is an alternative to saccharin. It competes with sugar for sweetness and with saccharin for low calories. Its discovery in 1965 and approval for use in foods by FDA in 1981 are discussed. APM at the present time can be used only in cold foods or foods that don't need heating. Currently it is being used in more than 40 products in 23 countries. Maximum per day intake is projected to be 34 mg/kg/day or 2 grams of APM each day. APM contains phenylalanine and is classified as phenylketonuric. Parents with children who have phenylketonuria must be made aware of these food products and their potential health hazard. Aspartame labels are required on the containers of all products using APM. The safety of saccharin continues to be studied because it causes cancer in laboratory animals. Until APM was approved for food products, saccharin monopolyzed the low-calorie market for sweeteners. APM and saccharin may eventually be combined for use in food products because APM is very expensive. An update on cyclamate and sugar alcohols plus 8 other sweetening options that might appear in future food products are given. (kbc)
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