Abstract :

The review on low-calorie, High-intensity Sweeteners (HIS), synthetic and natural, will focus particularly on those sweeteners which have already received approval as food additives from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) or have achieved Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status. In the Europe Union, the approved HIS are given a particular E number, shown in bracket; the following sweeteners are approved by the EFSA for use in food, drink and medicine: acesulfame potassium also called Acesulfame K, (E950), Aspartame (E951), Cyclamate (E952), Saccharine (E954), Sucralose (E955), Thaumatin (E957), Neohespiridine dihydrochalcone (E959), Neotame (E961), Steviol glycosides (E2960), and Mogorside; likewise, in the USA, the FDA, has approved all the above sweeteners for application in food, drink and medicinal formulations (see Table 1). This review will describe their history, chemical structure and composition, taste profile, process of manufacture, brief comments on their market position. The historical note will reflect and highlight the role of the inventors responsible for their discoveries of low-calorie sweeteners, which has resulted in new and profitable global business ventures and has provided health and economic benefit to the society at large.