Artificial sweeteners

This category of nonnutritive,  high-intensity sugar substitutes 
includes ASPARTAME, ACESULFAME-K  and SACCHARIN. 
Two sweeteners undergoing FDA approval at this  writing are 
ALITAME and SUCRALOSE. Cyclamate lost its FDA  approval 
in 1970. Numerous new sweeteners are in various  stages of 
development or review. Most of these are from two  groups: the 
fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and the L-sugars. 

aspartame

 aspartame [ah-SPAHR-taym; AS-pahr-taym] An ARTIFICIAL
 SWEETENER that's 180-200 times sweeter than sugar. It's
 synthesized from two AMINO ACIDS (aspartic acid and
 phenylalanine), the building blocks of protein, and contains
 about 4 calories per gram. Regular aspartame breaks down
 and loses its sweetness when heated but is excellent for
 sweetening cold dishes. A new encapsulated (and therefore
 heat-stable) form of this sweetener has been developed
 especially for baking. At this writing, however, it's not available
 to consumers. 

Acesulfame-K

 Acesulfame-K [a-seh-SUHL-faym-K] Formulated by the
 Germans in the late 1960s, this noncaloric ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER
 (also called Ace-K ) was approved in the United States by the
 Federal Drug Administration in 1988. It's 200 times sweeter
 than sugar and, unlike ASPARTAME, retains its sweetness when
 heated, making it suitable for cooking and baking. When used
 in large amounts, however, Ace-K has a bitter aftertaste, much
 like that of SACCHARIN. This sweetener is composed of carbon,
 nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, sulphur and potassium atoms. It's
 widely used in a broad range of commercial products including
 baked goods, candies and imitation dairy products.

Alitame

 Alitame [AL-ih-taym] Although not sanctioned for use in the
 United States at this writing, Alitame is expected to soon
 become FDA approved. This supernova of ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
 is 2,000 times as sweet as sugar. It's a compound of two amino
 acids ­ alanine and aspartic acid.  

saccharin

 saccharin [SAK-uh-rihn] Containing only 1 calorie per
 teaspoon, this ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER is said to be 300 times
 sweeter than sugar. Saccharin was discovered by accident in
 the late 1800s by scientists at Johns Hopkins University. Though
 it's widely used to sweeten a multitude of commercial foods and
 beverages - as well as in the home - some find that it has a
 decidedly bitter aftertaste. This unpleasant effect is particularly
 noticeable when a food sweetened with saccharin is heated.
 Saccharin is available in both powdered and liquid forms in
 supermarkets. It has been the center of controversy during the
 last few decades because of its reported possible carcinogenic
 effects. Because the issue is still being researched, the FDA
 requires that saccharin products carry a warning label to that
 effect. 

Sucralose

 Sucralose An ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER that's about 600 times
 sweeter than sugar. Although not approved by the Federal Drug
 Administration at this writing, Sucralose is already being used in
 Australia and Canada under the brand name Splendar . This
 crystalline, free-flowing sweetener is both water soluble and
 stable, making it appropriate for a broad range of foods and
 beverages.