What is
Sucralose?
Sucralose is the only non-caloric sweetener made from sugar. Sucralose is derived
from sugar through a multi-step patented manufacturing process that selectively
substitutes three atoms of chlorine for three hydroxyl groups on the sugar molecule. This
change produces a sweetener that has no calories, yet is 600 times sweeter than sucrose.
Sucralose tastes like sugar. It has a clean, quickly perceptible, sweet taste that does
not leave an unpleasant aftertaste. The exceptional stability of sucralose allows both
food manufacturers and consumers to use it virtually anywhere sugar is used, including
cooking and baking.
Discovered in
1976, sucralose has been developed jointly by McNeil Specialty Products Company, a member
of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, and Tate & Lyle, PLC, a world leader
in sweeteners and starches. Sucralose was granted approval by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) on April 1, 1998 and approved for use in 15 food and beverage
categories. This is the broadest initial approval ever granted by FDA for a food
ingredient. The FDA expanded the uses for sucralose in 1999, approving it as a
"general purpose" sweetener. Sucralose has also been approved for use in foods
and beverages in more than 40 countries including Canada, Australia, and Mexico.
Sucralose is
not utilized for energy in the body because it is not broken down like sucrose. It passes
rapidly through the body virtually unchanged. Sucralose has been extensively tested in
more than 100 studies during a 20-year period and found to be a safe and remarkably inert
ingredient. It can be used by all populations, including pregnant women, nursing mothers,
and children of all ages. No population subgroup has been excluded from using sucralose.
Sucralose is beneficial for individuals with diabetes because research demonstrates that
sucralose has no effect on carbohydrate metabolism, short- or long-term blood glucose
control, or insulin secretion.
One advantage
of sucralose for food and beverage manufacturers and consumers is its exceptional
stability. It retains its sweetness over a wide range of temperature and storage
conditions and in solutions over time. Because of its stability, food manufacturers can
use sucralose to create a number of great-tasting new foods and beverages in categories
such as canned fruit, low-calorie fruit drinks, baked goods, and sauces and syrups.
Sucralose also can be used as a sweetener in nutritional supplements, medical foods, and
vitamin/mineral supplements.
Sucralose is
available as an ingredient for use in a broad range of foods and beverages under the name
SPLENDAź Brand Sweetener. Currently, a range of products sweetened with SPLENDA is on
supermarket shelves, such as carbonated soft drinks, low-calorie fruit drinks, maple
syrup, and applesauce.
Beginning in
October 2000, sucralose will be available in supermarkets as a tabletop sweetener under
the brand name SPLENDA in two forms - granular and packets. The granular tabletop
sweetener can be used as a spoon-for-spoon replacement for sugar. It pours, measures, and
cooks and bakes like sugar. The convenient packet form can be used to sweeten beverages
and sprinkle on cereal or fruit. At present, McNeil Specialty Products Company is also
providing people the opportunity to purchase the two tabletop forms of SPLENDAź
Low-Calorie Sweetener via the Internet at www.splenda.com
BENEFITS
Tastes Like
Sugar - Sucralose tastes like sugar and has no unpleasant aftertaste. In scientific
taste tests conducted by independent research organizations, sucralose was found to have a
taste profile very similar to sugar.
Can Help
Control Caloric Intake - Sucralose is not metabolized, thus it has no calories. It
passes rapidly through the body virtually unchanged, is unaffected by the body's digestive
process, and does not accumulate in the body. By replacing sucralose for sugar in foods
and beverages, calories can be reduced substantially, or, in many products, practically
eliminated.
Advantageous
for People with Diabetes - Sucralose is not recognized as sugar or a carbohydrate by
the body. Thus, it has no effect on glucose utilization, carbohydrate metabolism, the
secretion of insulin, or glucose and fructose absorption. Studies in persons with normal
blood glucose levels and in persons with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes have confirmed
that sucralose has no effect on short- or long-term blood glucose control.
Does Not
Promote Tooth Decay - Scientific studies have shown that sucralose does not support
the growth of oral bacteria and does not promote tooth decay.
Extraordinary
Heat Stability - Sucralose is exceptionally heat stable, making it ideal for use in
baking, canning, pasteurization, aseptic processing and other manufacturing processes that
require high temperatures. In studies among a range of baked goods, canned fruits, syrups,
and jams and jellies, no measurable loss of sucralose occurred during processing and
throughout shelf life.
Long Shelf
Life - Sucralose combines the taste of sugar with the heat, liquid and storage
stability required for use in all types of foods and beverages. It is particularly stable
in acidic products, such as carbonated soft drinks, and in other liquid based products
(e.g., sauces, jelly, milk products, processed fruit drinks). Sucralose is also very
stable in dry applications such as powdered beverages, instant desserts, and tabletop
sweeteners.
Ingredient
Compatibility - Sucralose has excellent solubility characteristics for use in food and
beverage manufacturing and it is highly compatible with commonly used food ingredients,
including flavors, seasonings, and preservatives.
SAFETY
The safety of
sucralose is documented by one of the most extensive and thorough safety testing programs
ever conducted on a new food additive. More than 100 studies conducted and evaluated over
a 20-year period clearly demonstrate the safety of sucralose. Studies were conducted in a
broad range of areas to assess whether there were any safety risks regarding cancer,
genetic effects, reproduction and fertility, birth defects, immunology, the central
nervous system, and metabolism. These studies clearly indicate that sucralose:
Does
not cause:
tooth decay
cancer
genetic changes
birth defects
Has no effect
on:
carbohydrate
metabolism, short- or long-term blood glucose control or insulin secretion
male or female
reproduction
the immune
system
MULTIPLE
SWEETENER APPROACH
The increasing
calorie consciousness of Americans has sparked a growing consumer demand for low-calorie
foods and beverages. The number of people who consume low-calorie products has more than
doubled during the past decade. The availability of sucralose, aspartame, saccharin and
acesulfame potassium has expanded the low-calorie food and beverage market by allowing
manufacturers to use the most appropriate sweetener, or combination of sweeteners, for a
given product.
This multiple
sweetener approach allows the low-calorie and diet food and beverage industry to meet the
growing consumer demand for new, good-tasting, reduced-calorie products. No low-calorie
sweetener is perfect for all uses. On the other hand, a wide variety of low-calorie
sweeteners provides products with improved taste and stability, lower manufacturing costs,
and more choices for the consumer.
MEETING
CONSUMER DEMAND
Recent research
shows that more than 163 million adult Americans are incorporating low-calorie, sugar-free
foods and beverages into their meal plan as part of a healthy lifestyle. This growing
calorie consciousness challenges food manufacturers to provide consumers with a wider
selection of good-tasting, reduced calorie products. The development and approval of a
variety of safe, low-calorie sweeteners and other low-calorie ingredients are helping to
meet this consumer demand.
FUTURE
People are
demanding a greater variety of low-calorie products as they strive to make healthier food
choices. Sucralose can help meet this demand because its combination of sugar-like taste
and excellent stability make it uniquely suited for numerous products, many of which have
been previously unavailable in a reduced calorie, reduced sugar form.
Sucralose can
be used to create whole new categories of food and beverage products, such as
reduced-calorie cookies, cakes, ice cream toppings, and fruit and pie fillings. It also
can be used to expand markets for existing low-calorie products, such as jams and jellies,
chewing gum, and carbonated soft drinks. The availability of sucralose will expand the
market to provide products with improved taste, increased stability, lower manufacturing
costs and, ultimately, more choices for consumers.
*** Information
provided courtesy of the Calorie Control Council.
