Name

Acesulfame-K

Aspartame

Drinks

Made from

One of the most commonly used intense It is made up of acetoacetic acid and potassium
sweeteners in UK soft drinks. (BSDA,
which forms a highly stable and crystalline compound
2012c).
(Buzzle, 2012).
Quantities in soft drinks: about 70 to
130mg.L-1 (Lino et al., 2008).
In soft drinks, almost always combined
with another sweetener such as aspartame
or sucralose (UNESDA, n.d.).

One of the most commonly used intense

sweeteners in UK soft drinks. (1)
Properties in soft drinks: Sugar-like taste.
Enhances and intensifies citrus and other
fruit flavours (40)
Ribena (11), Vimto (19), Low Sugar Fruit
Shoot, Diet Coke

Where manufactured

Notes

Main countries of supply: Germany and China (BSDA, 200 times sweeter than sugar

2012c and UNESDA, n.d.).

Not metabolised/no calories - excreted
unchanged, therefore does not affect the normal
functions of the human body (BSDA, 2012c)
Remains Stable Under High Temperatures
Excellent Shelf Life (Calorie Control Council,
2012)
Good storage, temperature and pH stability.
(UNESDA, n.d.).

Combination of two amino acids, L-aspartic acid and L- By NutraSweet - USA. But does not export to Europe
phenylalanine (1)
(43)
By Ajinomoto (Japan) and its subsidiary Ajinomoto
Raw materials for fermentation (producing the amino
Europe (Gravelines, France), under the name
acids), include sugarcane juice or molasses, and
Aminosweet - (25) and Japan (Tokai plant in Yokkaichi
tapioca starch
City)
China - many producers (3 or 4 major, a handful of
smaller ones) (34 and 43)

200 times sweeter than sugar (34) Safe for

people with diabetes Very low calorie levels

Derived from coal tar and is created using ammonia,

chlorine, anthranilic acid, sulfur dioxide and nitrous
acid (25)

USA (by PMC Specialties Group);

China (34)

300 times sweeter than sugar No calories

(23)

Made from sucrose by a multi-step patented

manufacturing process that selectively replaces three
hydroxyl (molecularly bonded hydrogen and oxygen
atoms) with chlorine atoms (5)

McNeil Nutritionals - manufacture Splenda - UK.

600 times sweeter than sugar Very soluble

and therefore useful in concentrated products
such as dispense syrups
Very stable
therefore no loss of sweetness over the product
shelf life (1)

one of the only sweeteners to have a good

enough taste profile to be used on its own to
replace sugar in soft drinks.
Can help to mask taste
limitations of other sweeteners - used widely with
acesulfame-K and/or saccharin.(40)

Quantities in soft drinks: about 50 to

100mg.L-1 (35)
Saccharin (Sweet n' Low)

Commonly used (Email Fiona Palmer

BSDA)
Properties in soft drinks: Highly stable with
a good shelf life. Usually used in
combination with other sweeteners
because of taste limitations. (40)
Properties in soft drinks : High quality of
sweetness. Good water solubility.
Excellent stability and shelf life(40)

Sucralose (Splenda)

Dole and Del Monte use this sweetener

(14), Vimto (19), Diet Coke, Pepsi
One of the most commonly used intense
sweeteners in UK soft drinks. (1)

Singapore (Tate & Lyle PLC for the UK market) (35)

China (34)

Non-calorific sweeteners

Stevia

Maple syrup, maple sugar,

molasses, sorghum, agave
syrup, palm sugar, honey

Ref (34)

Used in drinks manufactured by CocaCola

(e.g. Vitamin Water), Pepsi and Kraft
Foods (e.g. Tropicana and Liptons) (5),
Britvic (Juicy Drench, SoBe V Water; 36);
Fruit drinks: Trop50, R.W. Knudsen Family
Light Juice, Hansen's Loe-Cal Juice, Old
Orchard Cranberry Naturals and Odwalla
Light

Herb in the Chrysanthemum family which grows wild in Paraguay, Brazil, Japan and China
Safe for diabetics 300 times sweeter than
Paraguay and Brazil (7)
sugar No calories (6)
Cargill (Truvia)
Merisant and PureCircle (PureVia, trademarl of the
PureCircle plantations in Paraguay, Kenya, China,
Whole Earth Sweetener Company),
Thailand & Laos; independent farmers (40)
(USA and Malaysia; sold to Dohler under the name
MultiSweet Stevia (39); 4,000MT/year of stevia
Leaf waste used as fertilizer and source of biofuel (40) extracted; largest extraction facility in the world,
refining plant in Malaysia and plans for new plants in
Kenya and Paraguay (41)