Determination of active sweet components of common artificial sweeteners that are used as replacement for sugar

Thesis Overview

<p> 1.0 INTRODUCTION:<br>A sugar substitute is a food additive that duplicates the effect of sugar in<br>taste, usually with less food energy. Some sugar substitutes are natural and<br>some are synthetic. Those that are not natural are in general, called artificial<br>sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners and other sugar substitutes are found in a<br>variety of food and beverages marketed as sugar free or diet including soft<br>drinks, chewing gum, jellies, baked goods, candy, fruit juice and ice-cream<br>and yoghurt. [Whitney 2011]<br>People may not all like the same kind of baked treats but one thing we all<br>agree on is that baked treats should be sweets usually, sugar is used to lend<br>sweetness to foods but would cake taste just as good if the baker used a<br>sugar substitutes instead of sugar? Many people prefer not to use sugar often<br>due to health reasons and instead depend on sugar substitutes to sweeten<br>their foods. But are sugar substitutes the same as sugar? What exactly are the<br>differences between sugar and sugar substitutes?<br>Sugar also known as sucrose comes from plants like sugar cane and sugar<br>beets and is a carbohydrate. Sugar adds bulk to cakes, cookies and all kinds<br>of treats; sugar also causes browning and caramelizing in foods when it is<br>heated as when cookies turn golden brown in the oven sugar is a natural<br>substance, something that our bodies can use for energy.<br>Sugar substitutes come in three categories; artificial sweeteners, sugar<br>alcohols and natural sweeteners. Artificialsweeteners are attractive because<br>they add almost no calories to foods and are sometimes a part of weight loss<br>programs. Also they donot increase blood sugar levels which mean that<br>diabetics can use them. Many artificial sweeteners like sucralose were<br>discovered by accident in the laboratory. In 1976, a scientist in England was<br>studying different compounds made from sugar. The scientist asked a<br>student to test the compounds but instead the student tested them. Another<br>category of sugar substitutes is sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohols are not<br>alcoholic beverages they do not contain ethanol which is found in alcoholic<br>beverages. Sugar alcohols like sugar have calories and energy but not<br>asmuch as sugar. Sugar alcohols like artificial sweeteners do not contribute<br>to tooth decay and affect blood sugar levels slowly so diabetics can use them.<br>Although sugar alcohols like xylitol, sorbitol and erythritol are manufactured<br>products the sources are often natural.<br>The last category of sugar substitutes is called natural substitutes. The<br>categories include maple syrup, agave nectar and honey. These substances<br>are absorbed by our digestive system and contain calories and nutrients that<br>our bodies can use. [Michelle 2002]<br>The chart lists some popular sugar substitutes and how they‟re commonly<br>categorized:<br>Artificial<br>sweeteners<br>Acesulfame<br>potassium<br>(sunett,sweet<br>one)<br>Sugar alcohols<br>Erythritol<br>Novel<br>sweeteners<br>Stevia extracts<br>(pure via, truvia)<br>Natural<br>sweeteners<br>Agave nectar<br>Aspartame<br>(Equal,<br>Nutrasweet)<br>Hydrogenated<br>starch<br>hydrolysate.<br>Tegatose<br>(Naturlose)<br>Date sugar<br>Neotame Isomalt Trehalose Fruitjuice<br>concentrate<br>Saccharin<br>(sugartwin, sweet<br>“N” low<br>Lactitol Honey<br>Sucralose<br>(splenda)<br>Maltitol Maple syrup<br>Mannitol Molasses<br>Sorbitol<br>Xylitol<br>1.1 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY<br>AIM: To create an alternative to sugar by replicating the sweetnessfound in<br>natural sugar.<br>Objectives:<br>To determine how the sweetness of sugar substitutes compare to the<br>sweetness of sugar. In this research sugar and sugar substitutes will be<br>tested and the sweetness will be compare in relation to sugar.<br>To compare the availability and affordability of the active components<br>in the artificial sweetener and sugar<br>To know the components of this artificial sweetener and what makes<br>them taste sweet<br>1.2 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY<br>Artificial sweetener mimicking the taste of sugar will be a better alternative<br>to people who are suffering from diabetics. Unlike sugar, artificial<br>sweeteners generally don‟t raise blood sugar levels because they are not<br>carbohydrates. <br></p>