Free from artificial sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are synthetic sugar substitutes. They have a significantly higher sweetening power than sucrose (household sugar) per unit weight (up to 4000 times sweeter, depending on the type). Their calories are low or non-existent and they contain no carbohydrates. Sugar substitutes such as sorbitol, maltitol or xylitol, which have a significantly lower sweetening power and sugar modifications (sugar alcohols), must be distinguished from them.
Artificial sweeteners are often mixed with sugar substitutes to make the sweetness of the products more pleasant and, in particular, to mask the often slightly bitter aftertaste of some artificial sweeteners.
There are currently (as of 2024) 12 sweeteners approved as additives in the EU:
- Acesulfam K (E 950) | Aspartam (E 951) | Cyclamat (E 952) | Saccharin (E 954) | Sucralose (E955) | Thaumatin (E957) | Neohesperidin DC (E 959) | Steviolglycosid aus Stevia (E960a) | enzymatisch hergestellte Steviolglycoside (E960c) | Neotam (E961) | Aspartam- Acesulfam-Salz (E 962) | Advantam (E 969)
Sweeteners have no caries-promoting effect and contain no or very few calories. They are therefore often used in low-calorie foods and as table-top sweeteners, for example in confectionery, desserts, soft drinks and dressings. As they weigh less than sugar and also have a higher sweetening power for the same amount, sweeteners cannot be processed like sugar. Even the smallest amounts of sweetener can produce the same sweetening power as sugar.
In addition, they are only permitted for certain foods and only with a maximum quantity restriction. The so-called ADI value is used for this. It describes the amount of a substance that a person can consume daily for a lifetime without any health consequences being expected. ADI stands for “Acceptable Daily Intake”.