Some alternative sweeteners (xylitol, sorbitol, sucralose and stevia): Review

Alternative sweeteners are food additives. They substitute the sugar (sucrose) alone or in combination with each other. Each sweetener has its own properties, may be involved with each other in certain characteristics. They are selected by producers depending on the taste, sweetness, stability and cost which are either nutrient or not nutrient alternatives. Alternative sweeteners have been used to improve the taste of food and/or drink and duplicate the effect of sugar in taste, usually with low calorie value. Some sugar substitutes are natural and some are synthetic. Those that are not natural are, in general, called artifi cial sweeteners, much less sweetener is required and energy contribution is often negligible. The sensation of sweetness caused by these compounds(“sweetness profi le”) is sometimes notably different from sucrose, so they are often used in complex mixtures that achieve the most natural sweet sensation