Sugar substitute

A sugar substitute is a food additive that duplicates the effect of sugar in taste, usually with less food energy. Some sugar substitutes are natural and some are synthetic. Those that are not natural are, in general, referred to as artificial sweeteners.

An important class of sugar substitutes are known as high-intensity sweeteners. These are compounds with sweetness that is many times that of sucrose, common table sugar. As a result, much less sweetener is required, and energy contribution often negligible. The sensation of sweetness caused by these compounds (the "sweetness profile") is sometimes notably different from sucrose, so they are often used in complex mixtures that achieve the most natural sweet sensation.

In the United States, six intensely-sweet sugar substitutes have been approved for use. They are saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, neotame, acesulfame potassium, and stevia. There is some ongoing controversy over whether artificial sweetener usage poses health risks. The US Food and Drug Administration regulates artificial sweeteners as food additives. Food additives must be approved by the FDA, which publishes a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list of additives. To date, the FDA has not been presented with scientific information that would support a change in conclusions about the safety of the six approved high-intensity sweeteners. The safe conclusions are based on a detailed review of a large body of information, including hundreds of toxicological and clinical studies.

There is also an herbal supplement, stevia, used as a sweetener. Controversy surrounds lack of research on stevia's safety and there was a battle over its approval as a sugar substitute.