Artificial sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are synthetic, non-nutritive sweetening agents, usually many times sweeter than sucrose, so only tiny amounts are needed. Examples include aspartame, saccharin, and alitame, alongside widely used compounds such as sucralose and acesulfame K. Their main applications are low-calorie foods, soft drinks, tabletop sweeteners, and sugar-free confectionery, where they provide sweetness without meaningful energy or blood-sugar impact. Each approved sweetener carries an acceptable daily intake (ADI) set by safety authorities after toxicological review, and products containing them must declare the sweetener by name on the label. Blends of sweeteners are common, since combining them can improve taste profile and reduce the aftertaste of individual compounds.