How to Find Hidden Artificial Sweeteners in Drinks and Foods

It can be easy to get confused by ingredient and nutrition labels on foods, especially those containing sucralose and other sugar substitutes. Some consumers may be trying to avoid artificial sugar substitutes, but end up buying products with sucralose because they do not realize that sucralose and Splenda are the same chemical additive. While some people try to avoid consuming foods and beverages with Splenda or sucralose, there are also people seek out low-calorie sweeteners.

Whatever your health goal is, recognizing the different names for the same artificial sweetener will help you find the right products to buy.

Five FDA-Approved Artificial Sweeteners

Currently there are only five artificial sweeteners currently approved for use in the U.S. by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), according to the National Cancer Institute. Those five artificial sweeteners are Acesulfame potassium, Aspartame, Neotame, Saccharin and Sucralose. (Cancer.gov)

Typically these low-calorie sweeteners are sweeter than sugar, which allows less of the product to be used to create a sweetened drink or food.

Some of these sugar substitutes are more commonly known by their brand names.

Sucralose

One of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners today is sucralose. According to the New York Times, sucralose holds 63 percent of the artificial sweetener market (NYT).

Sucralsoe has been approved for tabletop use since 1998 (National Cancer Institute). Actually, the FDA approved this sweetener on April 1, 1998, which seems worth noting. In that regard, it joins other low-calories sweeteners includingsaccharin and aspartame.

Sucralose is 600 times sweeter than sugar. (IFIC)

According to the FDA sucralose is safe.

"In determining the safety of sucralose, FDA reviewed data from more than 110 studies in humans and animals. Many of the studies were designed to identify possible toxic effects including carcinogenic, reproductive and neurological effects."

"No such effects were found, and FDA's approval is based on its finding that sucralose is safe for human consumption." (FDA)