Sweetness is a basic taste that is widely loved by people, usually caused by sugar substances. In addition to providing sweetness, sugars can also produce enticing colors and aromas, playing an important role in improving food texture, inhibiting bacteria and preservatives, and extending food shelf life.

Moderate sugar can supplement human energy, help restore physical strength, and relieve fatigue. However, excessive intake of high sugar food will cause the body to accumulate too many calories, which will eventually be converted into fat, leading to obesity and increasing the risk of hypertension, diabetes and other diseases. In recent years, with the improvement of people's living standards and the promotion of healthy consumption concepts, "low sugar" and "sugar free" foods have been more favored in the market and gradually become a new trend in consumption.

Low sugar and sugar free foods

According to the National Food Safety Standard for Prepackaged Food Nutrition Labeling (GB 28050-2011), the requirement for "low sugar" food is that the sugar content in 100g of solid food or 100mL of liquid food should not exceed 5g, while the requirement for "sugar free" food is that the sugar content in 100g of solid food or 100mL of liquid food should not exceed 0.5g.

The sweetness of "low sugar" and "sugar free" foods mainly comes from the sweeteners added to the food.

Sweetener

Sweetener is a substance that imparts sweetness to food and belongs to a category of food additives. Sugar substances such as glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, starch sugar, and lactose, although also natural sweeteners, are often considered as food ingredients and are not managed as food additives in China due to their long-term consumption and importance as nutrients.

Compared with sucrose, fructose and other added sugars, sweeteners have the characteristics of high sweetness, low energy, good stability and so on. Only a small amount of sweeteners can be added to food to obtain appropriate sweetness. They have a wide range of applications, and are more suitable for diabetes patients, obese people and the elderly and other special consumer groups who need to control energy and carbohydrate intake.

Common sweeteners

There are many types of sweeteners, which can be divided into natural sweeteners and artificially synthesized sweeteners according to their sources. According to their nutritional value, they can be divided into nutritional sweeteners and non nutritional sweeteners.

At present, the commonly used sweeteners in food can be divided into three types: sugar alcohol nutritional sweeteners (such as erythritol, xylitol, etc.), natural non nutritional sweeteners (such as stevioside, siraitin, glycyrrhizin, etc.) and artificial non nutritional sweeteners (such as aspartame, saccharin, neotame, cyclamate, sucralose, etc.). In the process of food processing, non nutritive sweeteners are often combined with sugar alcohol nutritional sweeteners because non nutritive sweeteners have the advantages of high sweetness and low dosage, but some may have a metallic taste and other unpleasant aftertaste. Sugar alcohol nutritional sweeteners have low sweetness but can mask the unpleasant flavor. The combination of the two can complement each other's advantages, coordinate taste, and enhance flavor.

Sugar alcohol nutritional sweeteners: This type of sweetener is a derivative of sugar, with a structure and sweetness similar to sugar. At present, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved eight types of sugar alcohols, including xylitol, lactitol, erythritol, maltitol, and isomaltitol, as sweeteners in food. This type of sweetener provides less energy than sugar, does not cause significant blood sugar reactions, and can significantly reduce the risk of dental caries. Therefore, it is widely used in chewing gum and tablet foods.

Natural non nutritive sweeteners: steviol glycosides (steviol glycosides, steviol glycosides)? Stevioside is a type of terpenoid glycoside extracted from Stevia rebaudiana, which has a sweet taste and is a white powder that is easily soluble in water. Its sweetness is about 200 times that of sucrose, and its calorie content is only 1/300 of sucrose. Stevioside has a delayed sweetness and a more pronounced aftertaste compared to sucrose. When mixed with sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, etc., it can synergistically increase sweetness and make the sweetness more pure. Commonly used in making beverages, baked goods, yogurt, sauces, candies, etc.

Momordica grosvenorii glycoside (Momordica grosvenorii extract):? Momordica grosvenorii glycoside is a natural sweetener extracted from Momordica grosvenorii fruit. Its sweetness is about 240 times as much as sucrose, and its calorie is only 1/50 of sucrose. The sweet taste of siraitia grosvenorii glycoside is similar to steviol glycoside, and it has no unpleasant aftertaste, and is fragrant and delicious. It is an ideal choice for adding to fruit drinks.

Artificially synthesized non nutritive sweeteners

Aspartame: Aspartame is a combination of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, found in food. Its sweetness is 100-200 times that of sucrose. Aspartame is prone to hydrolysis in high temperature or high pH environments, so it is not suitable for high-temperature baked goods. However, its heat resistance can be improved by combining with fat or maltodextrin. Due to its good taste, high sweetness, and low energy, aspartame has been approved for use in the food industry in over 90 countries and regions worldwide. In China, it can be used in carbonated beverages, bread, pastries, chewing gum, candies, frozen drinks, and other foods.

Sucralose (sucralose): Sucralose is the only sweetener synthesized from sucrose, with a sweetness 600 times that of sucrose. It has the advantages of good thermal stability, low decomposition, and high safety. Sucralose has a pure sweet taste and has a masking effect on bitterness, astringency, and other flavors. It is currently the closest artificial sweetener to sucrose and can be used in beverages, canned fruits, soy sauce, compound seasonings, blended wine, and other foods.

Acesulfame (AK sugar): Acesulfame is a calorie free sweetener with a sweetness about 200 times that of sucrose and a suitable taste. It is widely used in candy, baked goods, frozen Dim sum, beverages, mixed desserts and table sweeteners. The combination of acesulfame and aspartame in a 1:1 ratio can increase sweetness by 30%. If combined with saccharin appropriately during use, it can make the sweet taste of the product smoother and the taste purer.

Sweetener: Sweetener has a sweetness about 30 times that of sucrose, with a good flavor and no off flavors. It can also mask the bitter taste brought by other sweeteners and can be used in frozen drinks, jams, bread, pastries, and other foods. When used in combination, saccharin is mainly paired with high potency sweeteners that have a longer initial sweetness and subsequent sweetness.

Scientific dietary recommendations for reducing and controlling sugar intake

Sugar is not only a seasoning that brings people a pleasant and wonderful taste, but it is also a necessity in people's lives and one of the five major nutrients in the human body. To maintain good health, one must be sugar tolerant rather than addicted to sugar. There is no need to excessively reject sugar and sweetness in daily diet and blindly pursue sugar free foods. In fact, many foods naturally contain sugar, and scientific sugar reduction only involves "added sugar". Adding sugar refers to the additional sugars added during processing in addition to those naturally present in food. Common added sugars include sucrose, fructose, glucose, etc. The Chinese Dietary Guidelines for Residents (2022) recommend that the daily intake of added sugar per person should not exceed 50g, preferably controlled below 25g.

People who have a need for sugar control can prioritize choosing pre packaged foods with low sugar content or products labeled as "low sugar" or "sugar free". At the same time, pay attention to the ingredient and nutritional list on the product label, understand the types of sweeteners used in the product, and the overall energy content of the food. The label "no sucrose" or "zero sucrose" on the packaging bag does not mean no sugar. The meaning of 'no sucrose' is that there is no added sucrose such as white sugar, soft white sugar, rock sugar, brown sugar, etc., but other sugars such as glucose, fructose, or starch syrup may have been added.