• Food Science and Industry
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.40-54
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• 2016

The recent much attention has been given to weight gain of the population and its consequences on the occurrence of diet-related diseases in developed countries. Sugar is considered to be the main culprit of these phenomena. Food manufacturers attempt to provide the consumer with reduced energy products with non-nutritional sugars. Some studies also showed that consumers preferred foods prepared with natural additives rather than chemical ones, due to health reasons. This article reviews issues related to sugar alternatives, as well as their use, health benefits and risks.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.58-73
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• 2022

Due to the recent demand for low-calorie foods, consumers are looking for alternative sweeteners that can control blood sugar, low risk of tooth decay and low calories. Regulations for permitted sweeteners in food vary from every country, and it is important for the government and the food industry to monitor products containing these sweeteners to ensure global compliance. Therefore, rapid, precise, and accurate analysis for food matrices should be applied to quality control, market surveillance, monitoring, and evaluation of food additive intake in the food industry. To analyze sweeteners simultaneously, it is essential to develop an efficient and rapid analytical method and to perform appropriate pretreatment steps such as solvent extraction and purification. This study presented the recent analysis trends about the suitable extraction method for food matrices focusing on non-nutritive sweeteners. Additionally, techniques for multi-compounds analysis using HPLC and LC-MS/MS and non-destructive analysis techniques using FT-IR were comprehensively described.

• Archives of Obesity and Metabolism
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.45-53
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• 2023

Despite the emergence of obesity as a significant public health concern, artificial sweeteners have made their way into various food products due to the perception, that they serve as substitutes for sugar. Artificial sweeteners are used to supposedly achieve weight management and health improvement. However, their efficacy and safety remain debatable. Commonly used artificial sweeteners include aspartame, acesulfame potassium, saccharin, and sucralose. This article discusses the effects of artificial sweetener consumption on weight loss, appetite regulation, blood glucose control, and gut microbiota. Research findings, concerning the consumption of artificial sweeteners and their association with body weight, have shown inconsistencies between randomized controlled trials and cohort studies. Studies, comparing artificial sweeteners to sugar, have reported no significant differences in satiety. Although artificial sweeteners have no calories, they can affect blood sugar levels through the cephalic phase insulin response. A recent study suggested that artificial sweeteners influenced the occurrence of diabetes. Due to limitations in the study design, excluding diabetes-influencing factors was not feasible. The evidence showed that artificial sweeteners harbored potential health risks, necessitating further investigation. According to recent studies, the consumption of artificial sweeteners was associated with gut microbiota changes and individual blood sugar responses. It is important to note that artificial sweeteners cannot be considered safe alternatives to sugar, and further research is required.