Low-calorie and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS), also known as non-nutritive sweeteners, are food additives that have a long history of use in a variety of foods and beverages, from soft drinks to puddings and baked goods to dairy products.
They contain few or no calories at all, however provide a similar or high intensity of sweetness per gram compared to sweeteners with calories, such as sucrose, or table sugar, corn syrup, and honey.
The eight LNCS approved for use as food additives by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).1
| Name | Sweetness as compared with sucrose | Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) mg/kg body weight per day | Uses |
| Acesulfame potassium (Sunett® and Sweet One®) | 200 x | 15 mg/kg | Beverages, candy, frozen desserts, baked goods |
| Advantame, no brand name | 20,000 x | 32.8 mg/kg | Baked goods, beverages, chewing gum, candy, jelly and jam |
| Aspartame (Equal®, Sugar Twin®, or NutraSweet®) | 200 x | 50 mg/kg | Soft drinks, chewing gum, candy, instant coffee |
| Monk fruit (Nectresse®) | 100-250 x | NA | Tea, jams, dairy products |
| Neotame (Newtame®) | 7,000-13,000 x | 0.3 mg/kg | Beverages, candy, gum |
| Saccharin (Sweet ‘N Low®, Sweet Twin®, or Necta Sweet®) | 200-700 x | 15 mg/kg | Beverages, food product mixes |
| Steviol glycosides (Truvia®) | 200-400 x | 4 mg/kg | Beverages, chewing gum, candy |
| Sucralose (Splenda®) | 600 x | 5 mg/kg | Gum, frozen desserts, beverages |
Table 1 FDA approved LNCS
Steviol glycosides, or stevia, and monk fruit are natural LNCS sweetener while the others are artificial.
Sugar alcohols are another class of LNCS that occur naturally in small amounts in a variety of fruits and vegetables. They contain 2.4 calories per gram compared with 4 calories per gram of sugar. Examples of sugar alcohols include erythritol, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol and xylitol. The sweetness of sugar alcohols varies from 30-100% as sweet as sugar and they are commonly used in chewing gum, baked goods, ice cream, confections and frozen dairy desserts.
Looking for no and low calorie sweetener options?
Search several varieties of LNCS quickly and easily with UL Prospector®. Find technical data and contact suppliers directly.
Search sweeteners now
Health effects of LNCS
The saying, “nothing in life is free,” describes how many people view artificial sweeteners. While they add few calories to foods and beverages, their effects on health have remained controversial.
The controversy began to build significant traction in the early 1970s when research showed links between saccharin and bladder cancer in rats.2 This led to the FDA’s mandating that all products with saccharin contain the following warning label: “Use of this product may be hazardous to your health. This product contains saccharin which has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals.”
This requirement was lifted in 2000 following research showing that the results found in rats were not relevant to humans, and that saccharin is safe for human consumption at typical intake levels.
Since then, thousands of studies have found conflicting results of artificial sweeteners on health. For example, sweeteners have been linked with several chronic diseases including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. There has also been concern over whether artificial sweeteners negatively affect gut microbiota, which is important for many aspects of health, including nutrition, immunity and the health of the brain.3
Research has shown that there are some distinct conditions which mean that it is not safe for people to consume sweeteners. For people with a rare condition known as phenylketonuria (PKU) it is not safe to consume aspartame, since the sweetener contains phenylalanine. People with PKU lack the enzyme needed to metabolize phenylalanine, and without the enzyme phenylalanine builds up in the body and can damage the nervous system and brain.
However, the totality of the research suggests that artificial sweeteners and other categories of LNCS are safe in the amounts that people typically eat and drink. In some instances they can be helpful in managing the blood sugar levels of people with diabetes and weight conditions.4
Nonetheless, misinformation and fear-mongering surrounding the safety and health effects of LNCS have pushed some consumers away from their consumption and towards natural products. Despite the bulk of research conducted since LNCS products came to the consumer market, continued consumer education on the safety and potential health applications of LNCS is necessary.
Strong growth expected for LNCS
Despite controversies surrounding artificial sweeteners, the global artificial sweetener market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.05% to reach $9.7 billion by 2024, from $7.2 billion in 2018, according to Knowledge Sourcing Intelligence.5
While safety concerns surrounding artificial sweeteners and other LNCS are limiting the global growth, diabetic and weight management issues remain as big demand drivers for artificial sweetener products in the food market. The Bottom Line—LNCS are commonly used as sugar substitutes because they are many times sweeter than sugar but contribute significantly fewer calories to foods and beverages.
Although LNCS have been subject to controversy, they have a long history of safe use. Driving the expected growth of the LNCS market are consumers’ demands for low-calorie and diabetic-friendly food and beverage options. They don’t appear to be disappearing from the market any time soon.
References
- Additional Information about High-Intensity Sweeteners Permitted for Use in Food in the United States. Food and Drug Administration website. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/additional-information-about-high-intensity-sweeteners-permitted-use-food-united-states Updated February 8, 2018. Accessed August 24, 2019.
- Serra-Majem L, Raposo A, Aranceta-Bartrina, et al. Ibero—American Consensus on Low- and No-Calorie Sweeteners: Safety, Nutritional Aspects and Benefits in Food and Beverages. Nutrients. 2018; 10(7):818.
- Lohner S, Toews I, Meerpohl JJ. Health outcomes of non-nutritive sweeteners: analysis of the research landscape. Nutr J. 2017; 16(1):55.
- Cavagnari BM. Non-caloric sweeteners and body weight. Medicina. 2019; 79(2):115-122.
- Artificial Sweetener Market – Forecasts from 2019 to 2024. Research and Markets website. https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/4801618/artificial-sweetener-market-forecasts-from-2019 Published May 2019. Accessed August 24, 2019.
The views, opinions and technical analyses presented here are those of the author or advertiser, and are not necessarily those of ULProspector.com or UL Solutions. The appearance of this content in the UL Prospector Knowledge Center does not constitute an endorsement by UL Solutions or its affiliates.
All content is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without prior authorization from UL Solutions or the content author.
The content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. While the editors of this site may verify the accuracy of its content from time to time, we assume no responsibility for errors made by the author, editorial staff or any other contributor.
UL Solutions does not make any representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness or completeness of the content. UL Solutions does not warrant the performance, effectiveness or applicability of sites listed or linked to in any content.
Leave a Reply or Comment