Artificial Sweeteners
AdditiveOverview
Artificial sweeteners including aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium are synthetic compounds that provide intense sweetness 200-600 times greater than sugar in ultra-processed foods. These chemical additives serve as explicit markers of NOVA Group 4 classification, indicating industrial formulation processes incompatible with traditional food preparation methods.
76,650
Products contain this
1,457
Ingredient variations
Common forms
Aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, acesulfame K, neotame
Function
Artificial sweeteners enable calorie reduction while maintaining sweetness profiles in packaged foods, beverages, and manufactured food ingredients. These compounds provide heat stability for baking applications and pH stability for acidic products, while often being combined in complex blends to mask bitter aftertastes and create sugar-like flavor profiles.
Sources
Aspartame is synthesized through chemical coupling of L-aspartic acid and L-phenylalanine methyl ester, while sucralose undergoes selective chlorination of sucrose using specialized catalysts. Acesulfame potassium results from cyclization reactions with fluorosulfonyl compounds, requiring industrial chemical facilities and sophisticated manufacturing expertise.
Health Considerations
Scientific literature presents ongoing debates about artificial sweetener impacts on glucose metabolism and gut microbiome composition, though regulatory agencies maintain safety approval at current consumption levels. The presence of artificial sweeteners in food products typically correlates with other ultra-processed ingredients including preservatives and artificial flavors.
Regulatory
The FDA regulates artificial sweeteners as food additives with established Acceptable Daily Intake levels: aspartame (50 mg/kg), sucralose (5 mg/kg), and acesulfame potassium (15 mg/kg) body weight per day. Products containing aspartame must include phenylketonuria warnings, and all artificial sweeteners require specific ingredient labeling by name.
Common Variations (50 total)
Products Containing Artificial Sweeteners
Showing 12 of 76,650 products, sorted by processing level