Artificial sweeteners determination
Artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes play an important role in dietary practices for those who want to reduce the amount of sugar and calories taken. Today, artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes are found in a large number of foodstuffs that are offered as diet or without sugar.
Artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes are sweeteners that replace the sugar used in daily life, namely sucrose. These sweeteners are classified in various ways. For example,
- Artificial sweeteners: acesulfame potassium, aspartame, neotame, saccharin and sucralose
- Sugar alcohols: eriterol, hydrogenated starch hydrolyzate, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol and xylitol
- New sweeteners: stevia extract, tagatose and trehalose
- Natural sweeteners: agave nectar, brown sugar, fruit juice concentrate, honey, maple syrup and melase
However, some manufacturers name natural sweeteners, even if processed or refined. However, some artificial sweeteners are naturally obtained, for example, the formation of sucralose from sugar. But in all diets these substances are used to lose weight, but it is necessary to be careful.
Although artificial sweeteners are derived from natural substances such as plants or sugar itself, they are in fact synthetic sugars. Moreover, they are intense sweeteners containing many times more sugar than normal sugar.
Since these artificial sweeteners do not give calories to the body, they are attractive alternatives to sugar use. These materials are widely used in processed food products. For example, it is widely used in bakery products, powdered beverage mixes, soft drinks, confectionery, puddings, jams, jellies, dairy products and canned foods.
In the scope of chemical food analyzes, studies are carried out by authorized laboratories to identify artificial sweeteners such as acesulfame potassium, aspartame, dulcin, saccharin, cyclomat, sucralose and sorbitol. In these studies, the standards published by domestic and foreign organizations are also complied with.