Sweetener as a sugar substitute

Everything you need to know!

Many people are now trying to reduce their sugar consumption and are therefore increasingly turning to products that contain sugar substitutes. In the current issue of our newsletter, we look at why sugar substitutes can be useful, which sugar substitutes are available, what to consider when choosing a suitable sweetener and discuss new developments on the market and potential future opportunities in the field of sweeteners.

Sugar - sweet and less sweet sides

When people talk about sugar, they usually mean conventional household sugar - sucrose. However, the definition under food law includes all mono- and disaccharides that can occur naturally or as additives in food. For example, glucose or dextrose (grape sugar), fructose (fruit sugar) and lactose (milk sugar) are other known types of sugar in our food.

In the human body, sugar is converted into energy after consumption. It is supposed to help us perform throughout the day. Sugar is generally metabolized faster by the body than proteins or fat. This is why many people turn to dextrose (glucose) or foods rich in this sugar, especially when they need a quick energy boost for their brain or muscles. But as with everything, it's the dose that makes the poison. According to a WHO recommendation from 2015, free sugars should make up a maximum of 10% of total energy intake. However, many Germans consume more sugar. Excessive sugar consumption can promote tooth decay and lead to obesity and associated diseases such as type II diabetes. This is why people are increasingly turning to sugar substitutes.

Spoilt for choice - classification of sugar substitutes

Roughly speaking, sugar substitutes can be divided into 3 groups. The first is sweeteners. These include, for example, sucralose, steviol glycosides, acesulfame K, cyclamate and saccharin. Their greatest advantage lies in their sweetening power. Depending on the sweetener, a sweetness 200 to 13,000 times higher than that of sugar is achieved. This means that only very small amounts of sweeteners need to be used in recipes. In contrast to sugar, they have little or no calories and are excreted by the body unchanged. The second category is sugar alcohols. These include erythritol, sorbitol, xylitol and isomalt, for example. Sugar alcohols are carbohydrates that are only broken down very slowly by the body, which is why the blood sugar level hardly rises when they are consumed. They only have 40-90 percent of the sweetening power of sucrose. This means that large quantities are needed to sweeten products. The third category is sweetening foods. These primarily include syrups, ground sweet fruits or other ground plant ingredients such as agave syrup powder or coconut blossom sugar. These themselves have a high sugar content and are therefore unsuitable if you want to reduce calories. Their greatest advantage lies in their naturalness compared to other sugar substitutes. Their sweetening power can be lower to slightly higher than that of sucrose.

Sugar alcohols - 1st choice for lozenges and chewable tablets

The choice of a sugar substitute should be carefully considered. The dosage form and composition of the product as well as any taste characteristics of the sweetener should be taken into account. For tablets, for example, the sugar alcohols sorbitol and isomalt are suitable. These raw materials are easy to compress into tablets and are ideal as "tablet bodies". The higher quantity used in tablets, particularly in comparison with sweeteners, is therefore not a disadvantage. How about sorbitol-based melatonin lozenges, for example?

We would be happy to advise you on your next tablet product.

Sweeteners - number 1 for powders

Sugar alcohols such as xylitol are also used in powders. However, it should be noted that due to their low sweetening power, high quantities of raw materials are required and therefore a lot of space is needed within the recipe for the sugar alcohols to achieve a good degree of sweetness. The same also applies to products where sweetening foods are used for reasons of naturalness. Sweeteners such as sucralose or steviol glycosides from stevia are therefore often used in powdered products. Due to their higher sweetening power, significantly smaller amounts of sweetener are required here. This leaves more room for other ingredients in the recipe. By using certain combinations of sweeteners, the sweetening power can be further increased due to synergistic effects. Sucralose and acesulfame K, for example, are a popular combination.

However, sweeteners can also do more for the taste than just add sweetness. For example, when developing a vitamin and mineral powder, we found that the use of sucralose was able to reduce the unpleasant aftertaste of the minerals. Take advantage of our flavor expertise for your powder portfolio!

Steviol glycosides from stevia - a popular sweetener with flaws

Steviol glycosides from stevia (E960a) are one of the most popular sweeteners alongside sucralose. The reason for this is that, unlike many other sweeteners, the raw material has a natural origin - the stevia plant. However, multi-stage chemical purification processes are used to obtain the sweetener, meaning that the end product itself can no longer be considered "natural". The use of steviol glycosides from stevia in products can also be challenging in terms of taste. In addition to its sweetness, the raw material has a metallic aftertaste. If you want to avoid the typical off-taste, you should consider enzymatically produced steviol glycosides (E960c) or glycosylated steviol glycosides (E960d) as an alternative. These have been approved in recent years following an amendment to Regulation (EU) No. 1333/2008 (European Additives Regulation). In contrast to steviol glycosides from stevia, they taste less metallic and have a comparable to slightly higher sweetening power.

Sucralose - as bad as its reputation?

Sucralose is a popular sugar substitute due to its excellent organoleptic properties and high sweetening power. However, the sweetener has a very bad reputation among parts of the population. One of the reasons for this was a study from 2016, which became very well known in the media. This study found an increased incidence of leukemia in male mice whose food contained sucralose. This study was evaluated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2017. Deficiencies were found in the evaluation of the study. According to EFSA's assessment, the data from the study cannot support the conclusions. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) also looked into the issue and came to the conclusion that the majority of the studies found no health risks from the controversial sugar substitute. However, the BfR also points out that more studies are needed before a conclusive statement can be made.

As things stand, however, the BfR considers it unlikely that regular consumption of sucralose in the usual quantities in products that are not to be heated will have an adverse effect on health. In contrast, the BfR is critical of the use of sucralose in products that are heated to high temperatures, as substances harmful to health could form from sucralose when heated above 120 °C. Here too, the available data is not yet fully sufficient for a conclusive risk assessment, but the BfR recommends that products containing sucralose should not be heated above 120 °C.

To assess the potential health risks of sweeteners and other food ingredients, the overall study situation and the studies and assessments of reliable sources such as EFSA or BfR should always be considered. EFSA is currently re-evaluating the safety of all sweeteners that were approved before January 20, 2009, based on the current data situation. If the risk assessment of a sweetener changes in the future and it loses its approval status as an additive, we will be happy to inform you in our newsletter.

Sweeteners as novel food

There are some sweeteners or types of sugar that are already used in other parts of the world, but not yet in this country, as they are considered novel foods. These must undergo an approval process during which comprehensive safety data must be submitted before they can be approved as an additive. One sweetener for which there is currently no approval in the EU is Alitam, for example. There is also currently no application for inclusion as a novel food for the sweetener. Alitam is used as a food additive in Australia, New Zealand and Mexico, for example. The sweetener consists of the amino acids L-aspartic acid and D-alanine, is 2000 to 3000 times sweeter than sugar and is considered low in calories and heat-resistant. Another example is allulose. This is a carbohydrate similar to fructose, which is found in very small quantities in dates, figs and kiwis, for example. It is extracted industrially from fructose using enzymes. Allulose is said to have a low calorific value and is tooth-friendly. The approval process as a novel food has now been underway in Europe for over 5 years.

Overview of common sweeteners

To help you keep track of the many options, we have put together an overview of common sweeteners including a comparison of sweetening power with sucrose, E-numbers and special features. Take a look now and download the overview!

Download the overview

Employee diversity at Biohealth

At Biohealth, people from 15 different nations and with different religions work side by side. They all contribute their individuality and strengths and give their best for our customers every day. Our company thrives on the diversity of its employees and we clearly stand up for this. As an employer, we therefore take a clear stance against discrimination, racism, hatred and hate speech. Everyone who works for and at BHI should feel safe and accepted. Creating a positive customer experience is only possible in an appreciative environment!

Back