Roasted Vegetable Savory Bread Dressing

Posted by & filed under Diabetes-Friendly Recipes, Recipes, Side Dishes.

Ingredients

10 cups lightly toasted cubed French bread
3 to 3 1/2 cups of the Light and Easy Stock
2 large red Spanish onions
3 large leeks
4 large shallots
3 cloves garlic
5 ribs celery
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 large eggs
3 egg whites
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

Directions

Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl and pour over the stock to moisten. It should be thoroughly moistened, but not soggy. Peel the onions and cut in half lengthwise. Slice, crosswise, into 1/2″ slices. Trim the tough tops and root ends from the leeks. Slice, lengthwise, 3/4ths of the way through. Wash thoroughly, holding the layers apart to remove all of the grit. Slice, crosswise, into 1/2″ slices Peel the garlic and lightly crush the cloves, Slice the celery into 1/2″ slices. Place all of the vegetables in a single layer on heavy baking sheets. Toss with the olive oil. (There should be just enough to coat.) Place in a preheated 450 °F. oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Stir twice so the vegetables on the edge won’t get too brown. Remove and cool. Place on a cutting board and chop into a fine dice. Add to the bread mixture. Add the parsley. Beat together the eggs and the whites. Toss into the mixture with the seasonings. (To correct the seasonings, cook a small amount in the microwave and taste.) Spray 1 or 2 shallow baking dishes with non-stick vegetable spray. Bake in a preheated 375 °F. oven until hot through and lightly browned….45 minutes to 1 hour. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Nutritional Information

Per Serving: 
Calories: 180
Total Fat: 5g
Protein: 7g
Carbohydrates: 27g
Dietary Fiber: 3g

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

Posted by & filed under Dinner, Holiday & Events, Meat & Poultry, Recipes.

Makes 8 to 10 Servings

Ingredients

6 to 8 pound fresh turkey breast, bone in
4 tablespoons light butter (50% calorie reduction), softened
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic, finely minced
Vegetable oil or olive oil spray
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Wash and pat dry the turkey.

Directions

Using fingertips, carefully loosen the skin on each side of the top part of the breast to make a “pocket” between the skin and the meat.

With a fork, blend the butter with the herbs, salt, pepper and garlic. Divide the mixture in half and with fingertips, carefully slide half of it under the skin on each side of the breast.

Spray outside of the breast with the vegetable spray. Season the cavity area well with salt and pepper.

Place, with cavity down, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast in the center of a preheated 400 °F. oven for 1 hour.

Reduce to 375 °F. and continue roasting until thermometer inserted in thickest part of the meat registers 165 – 170 °F. The turkey breast should be a dark golden brown.

Let sit 15 minutes before carving.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 241
Total Fat 3g
Protein: 49g

Green Onion Cheese Dip

Posted by & filed under 4th of July, Appetizers and Snacks, Basketball, Recipes, Summer.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients

2 cups lowfat cottage cheese
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (regular or low fat)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped green onions (crisp green tops included)
1/4 cup parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (or to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Put all ingredients into the food processor. Pulse on and off until onions and parsley are finely chopped and cheese is smooth. Cover and chill for at least one hour.

Serve with fat-free chips or crisp dipping vegetables.

Benefits of Low-Calorie Sweeteners

Posted by & filed under Health Professionals.

The Role of Low-Calorie Sweeteners in Weight Control

Low-calorie sweeteners provide consumers with many benefits, both psychological and physiological. Health professionals and consumers believe low-calorie sweeteners are effective for the following purposes: weight maintenance, weight reduction, management of diabetes, reduction of dental caries, and reduction in the risks associated with obesity.

For approximately 187 million adult Americans, low-calorie sweeteners offer a means to enjoy good-tasting foods and beverages without the calories. Research shows that consumers of low-calorie, sugar-free foods and beverages have incorporated these products into an overall healthy lifestyle. Staying in better overall health is rated as the number one reason for using low-calorie products. For many low-calorie product consumers, staying in better overall health includes achieving and maintaining a proper weight.

People use low-calorie foods and beverages for many reasons other than dieting. 68 percent of low-calorie product consumers are not on a diet. For these people, “calorie consciousness” does not mean a commitment to weight control or weight reduction. Instead, these “non-dieters” use low-calorie products as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Allegations have been made that the benefits of low-calorie sweeteners are not well documented. In fact, scientific evidence supports the benefits of low-calorie sweeteners, particularly regarding weight control. The role of low-calorie sweeteners in weight control can be summarized as follows:

  • For many, low-calorie sweeteners offer a means to control caloric intake, allowing the substitution of low-calorie foods and beverages for their higher calorie counterparts. The increased availability of good-tasting, low-calorie products has made “calorie juggling” a popular method for maintaining weight.
  • Health professionals agree that the key to losing weight is to burn more calories than are consumed, either by increasing physical activity or consuming fewer calories — or preferably, both. As part of a sensible weight-control program, low-calorie sweeteners can help consumers reduce caloric intake and therefore help them lose weight.
  • Low-calorie sweeteners provide weight-conscious individuals with a greater variety of food and beverage choices in their diets. Also, low-calorie foods and beverages are easily incorporated into a lifelong, sensible weight-control program.
  • “Successful” weight reduction — losing weight and keeping it off — involves many factors, such as eating habits (including a balanced diet, eaten in moderation), exercise and long-term commitment. Allegations that one component of a person’s diet, in this case low-calorie sweeteners, is responsible for weight-loss failure cannot be supported, especially when other dietary and lifestyle factors are not controlled. In fact, the majority of those who use low-calorie sweeteners to lose or maintain weight do not rely solely on these products.
  • Though low-calorie foods and beverages can play a key role in successful weight loss, they cannot be held responsible for a weight-loss failure. The ultimate success of any weight-loss program depends on the individual — not any particular product.
  • Human and animal evidence exists which supports the effectiveness of low-calorie sweeteners in controlling caloric intake.
  • Opinion research has revealed that the vast majority of U.S. health professionals judge a low-calorie sweetener to be of benefit for weight control.
  • Claims by some that low-calorie sweeteners cause people to gain weight are essentially speculation and are not well founded scientifically. In fact, scientific evidence points to the opposite conclusion. Speculation that low-calorie sweeteners make people eat more has been generally contradicted by laboratory and clinical studies. Additionally, extensive clinical research shows that low-calorie sweetener use does not result in increased caloric intake or lead to weight gain.
  • In any discussion of low-calorie sweeteners and their role in weight control, it is important to note that these sweeteners are not drugs designed for the purpose of weight reduction. There are no miraculous weight loss claims made in the marketing of these products, as there are with some of the popular “fad” diet plans.

Aspartame

Posted by & filed under Aspartame, Low- and No-Calorie Sweeteners.

Aspartame is a low-calorie sweetener that is one of the most rigorously studied ingredients in the food supply. Aspartame is used widely as a sugar replacer in a variety of foods and beverages, as well as some pharmaceutical products.

Health experts agree that balanced nutrition and being physically active are keys to a healthy lifestyle. To help people achieve these goals, the U.S. government provides “Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” which encourage consumers to “Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little added sugars or caloric sweeteners.” The World Health Organization also recommends a number of dietary guidelines to combat increases in chronic diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, cancer, and diabetes. One recommendation is to limit sugars added to some foods and beverages. As a low-calorie sweetener, aspartame can reduce or replace added sugar and calories in foods and beverages while maintaining great taste, offering one simple step to help people move closer to achieving a more healthful diet.

Further, studies have shown that foods and beverages sweetened with aspartame can be an effective “tool” as part of a weight management program. Aspartame, however, is not a drug and does not stimulate weight loss. It does however, help make possible good tasting low- or reduced-calorie foods and beverages for those who wish to control or reduce their caloric intake. Researchers at Harvard Medical School have concluded that aspartame “is a valuable adjunct to a comprehensive program of balanced diet, exercise and behavior modifications for losing weight.

Benefits

The rapid rise in aspartame’s popularity can be attributed to the many benefits aspartame provides to calorie-conscious consumers, including:

Tastes Sweet and Clean
Studies conducted with taste-test panels show that aspartame’s taste is very similar to the taste of sugar.
Enhances and Extends Flavors
Aspartame has the ability to intensify and extend fruit flavors, such as cherry and orange, in foods and beverages. For example, aspartame makes chewing gum taste sweet and more flavorful longer than sugar-sweetened gum.
Does Not Promote Tooth Decay
The American Dental Association has noted it “welcomes the development and FDA approval of new artificial sweeteners that are shown to be safe and non-contributory to tooth decay. . . . Aspartame is an FDA-approved, safe sweetening agent and flavor enhancer that can be substituted for sugar in the diet.”
Helpful for Individuals with Diabetes
Aspartame offers people living with diabetes greater variety and flexibility in budgeting their total carbohydrate intake and allows them to satisfy their taste for sweets without affecting blood sugar, which helps them comply with a healthy meal plan. In addition, consuming products with aspartame can result in fewer calories, which helps people living with diabetes manage their weight.
Is Beneficial in Weight Control
With nearly two out of three Americans classified as overweight or obese, taking steps to assure appropriate calorie intake is important for many people. Because products with aspartame are lower in calories than their sugar-sweetened counterparts, using products with aspartame together with regular physical activity can help with weight management.
Can Be Part of a Healthy Diet
Aspartame can reduce or replace the sugar and calories in foods and beverages while maintaining great taste. Thus, aspartame offers one simple step to help people move closer to achieving healthier diet.

Availability in Foods and Beverages

Aspartame is found in about 6,000 products globally, including carbonated soft drinks, powdered soft drinks, chewing gum, confections, gelatins, dessert mixes, puddings and fillings, frozen desserts, yogurt, tabletop sweeteners, and some pharmaceuticals such as vitamins and sugar-free cough drops. Like all food ingredients, aspartame must be listed in the ingredient statement on the food label.

Several tabletop sweeteners contain aspartame as the sweetening ingredient can be used in a wide variety of recipes. However, in some recipes requiring lengthy heating or baking, a loss of sweetness may occur. Note, this is not a safety issue — simply the product may not be as sweet as desired. Therefore, it is best to use tabletop sweeteners with aspartame in specially designed recipes available from the manufacturers of these tabletop sweeteners. Aspartame tabletop sweeteners may also be added to some recipes at the end of heating to maintain sweetness.

How the Body Handles Aspartame

Aspartame is composed of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, as the methyl ester. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Aspartic acid and phenylalanine are also found naturally in protein-containing foods, including meats, grains and dairy products. Methyl esters are also found naturally in many foods such as fruits and vegetables and their juices.

Upon digestion, aspartame breaks down into three components (aspartic acid, phenylalanine and a small amount of methanol), which are then absorbed into the blood and used in normal body processes. Neither aspartame nor its components accumulate in the body. These components are used in the body in the same ways as when they are also derived from common foods.

Further, the amounts of these components from aspartame are small compared to the amounts from other food sources. For example, a serving of nonfat milk provides about 6 times more phenylalanine and 13 times more aspartic acid compared to an equivalent amount of diet beverage sweetened 100% with aspartame. Likewise, a serving of tomato juice provides about 6 times more methanol compared to an equivalent amount of diet beverage with aspartame.

The Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) is an important regulatory concept, which is frequently misunderstood. The ADI is a very conservative estimate of the amount of a sweetener that can safely be consumed on a daily basis over a person’s lifetime. It is not a specific point at which safety ends and possible health concerns begin. In fact, occasional intake above the ADI is not of concern.

The FDA has set the ADI for aspartame at 50 mg/kg of body weight/day. The chart that follows describes the approximate number of servings of various aspartame-containing products that an adult and child would need to consume to reach the ADI for aspartame.

Aspartame-containing Product Approximate number of
servings per day to reach the ADI		 Approximate number of
servings per day to reach the ADI
Adult (150 lb.) Child (50 lb.)
Carbonated soft drink (12 oz.)206
Powdered soft drink (8 oz.)3311
Gelatin (4 oz.)4214
Tabletop sweetener (packet)9732


Extensive market research has shown that aspartame consumption patterns for the general population and various subgroups are well below the ADI. Aspartame consumption by high-level consumers (90th percentile) in the general population, including children, is between 5% and 10% of the ADI. This means that 9 out of 10 people consume less than 10% of the ADI.

Children
Studies have documented that aspartame is safe for use by children. However, children need calories to achieve proper growth and development. Thus, parents should supervise their children’s diet to avoid dietary excesses or nutritional deficiencies
Pregnant or breastfeeding women
The FDA and the Council on Scientific Affairs of the American Medical Association agree that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding can safely use aspartame. Eating the appropriate amount of calories is important during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and calories should come from foods that contribute to nutrient needs rather than from foods low in nutrients. The variety of foods and beverages sweetened with aspartame can help satisfy a pregnant woman’s taste for “sweets” without adding extra calories, leaving room for more nutritious foods.
Diabetic individuals
The American Diabetes Association states that aspartame is a safe and useful sweetener for some people living with diabetes. Aspartame makes food taste sweet and can significantly reduce or even eliminate the amount of calories and carbohydrates in foods and beverages. Research shows that aspartame does not affect short-term or long-term blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Foods and beverages sweetened with aspartame offer people with diabetes a much wider variety of products from which to choose and greater flexibility in budgeting their total carbohydrate intake. Thus, it can help them follow nutrition recommendations and still enjoy good-tasting foods. About 90 percent of people with diabetes use aspartame-sweetened products.
Phenylketonuria
Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare inherited disease that prevents the essential amino acid phenylalanine, one of the components of aspartame, from being properly metabolized. (An essential amino acid is required for normal growth, development, and body functioning and must be obtained from the diet, as the body cannot make it.) Because of this, phenylalanine can accumulate in the body and cause health problems including mental retardation. In the U.S. and many other countries, routine screening for PKU is required for all newborns. In the U.S., about 1 in 15,000 babies is born with PKU. People with PKU are placed on a special diet with a severe restriction of phenylalanine from birth to adolescence or after. Women with PKU must remain on the special diet throughout pregnancy. Since individuals with PKU must consider aspartame as an additional source of phenylalanine, aspartame-containing foods must state “Phenylketonurics: Contains Phenylalanine” in the U.S.

Safety

Aspartame is one of the most thoroughly studied ingredients in the food supply. It was tested in more than 100 scientific studies before the FDA approved it in 1981. The studies were conducted in laboratory animals and humans, including healthy infants, children, and adults, lactating women, people with diabetes, obese individuals, and people who are carriers of the rare genetic disease phenylketonuria (PKU). Upon approving aspartame, the FDA Commissioner noted, “Few compounds have withstood such detailed testing and repeated, close scrutiny, and the process through which aspartame has gone should provide the public with additional confidence of its safety.”

After FDA approval, extensive additional research has been done with aspartame, which further confirmed its safety for the general population. In fact, aspartame has been tested for more than three decades, in more than 200 studies, with the same result: aspartame is safe.

In addition to FDA, aspartame has been reviewed and determined to be safe by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, the Scientific Committee on Food of the European Commission, and the regulatory bodies of over 100 countries. Independent health organizations, such as the American Medical Association’s Council on Scientific Affairs, the American Diabetes Association, and the American Dietetic Association, have reviewed research on aspartame and found it to be safe. Links to numerous governments, expert committees, and health organizations, which have confirmed the safety of aspartame, can be found below and at www.aspartame.org.

European Food Safety Authority Reconfirms Aspartame’s Safety (January 2013)
EFSA’s scientific experts have drawn upon all available information on aspartame and its breakdown products and, following a detailed and methodical analysis, have concluded in this draft opinion that they pose no toxicity concern for consumers at current levels of exposure. The current Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) is considered to be safe for the general population and consumer exposure to aspartame is below this ADI.
European Food Safety Authority Reconfirms Aspartame’s Clean Bill of Health (December 2002)
The Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) of the European Commission has reconfirmed aspartame’s clean bill of health following a comprehensive review of the sweetener’s safety. “The Committee concluded that on the basis of its review of all the data in animals and humans available to date, there is no evidence to suggest that there is a need to revise the outcome…” of the prior endorsement of aspartame’s safety.
U.K. Food Standards Agency (December 2002)
On December 18, 2002, the United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued a statement announcing that “the Agency supports the conclusions of the Committee’s [Scientific Committee on Food] thorough and timely review on the safety of the sweetener [aspartame].”
The French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) Supports Safety of Aspartame (May 2002)
The French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) recently reported a two-year study by the French Expert Committee on Flavourings, Food Additives and Processing Aids and has confirmed the safety of aspartame once again. The AFSSA was asked to review an alleged link between aspartame and brain tumors. The report, published on May 7, 2002, noted, “In conclusion, AFSSA considers that the current state of scientific knowledge does not enable a relationship to be established between the exposition to the aspartame and brain tumors in humans or animals.
FDA Consumer Magazine Confirms Safety of Aspartame (May-June 2002)
The FDA considers aspartame to be one of the most thoroughly tested and studied food additives the agency has ever approved. More than 100 toxicological and clinical studies reviewed by the agency confirm that aspartame is safe for the general population.
Health Canada Re-affirms Aspartame’s Safety (February 2003)
Health Canada states, “Before consideration was given to permitting aspartame for use in foods in Canada, officials of Health Canada evaluated an extensive array of toxicological tests in laboratory animals and, since its listing for use, they have examined the results of a number of clinical studies in humans. There is no evidence to suggest that the consumption of foods containing this sweetener, according to the provisions of the Food and Drug Regulations and as part of a well-balanced diet, would pose a health hazard to consumers.”
American Dietetic Association (ADA) Supports Safety and Usefulness of Aspartame (February 2004)
The 2004 updated position paper on nutritive and nonnutritive sweeteners from the ADA was released in February 2004 and states, “A comprehensive review of the safety of aspartame has recently been published. The review covers previous publications as well as new information that support the safety of aspartame as a food additive and negates claims of its association with a range of health problems…”
British Medical Journal (BMJ) (October 2004)
An October 2004 issue of the BMJ carries an editorial concluding that aspartame has been “demonised unfairly” in sections of the press and on the Internet.

The BMJ editorial states: “Evidence does not support links between aspartame and cancer, hair loss, depression, dementia, behavioural disturbances, or any of the other conditions appearing in websites. Agencies such as the Food Standards Agency, European Food Standards Authority, and the Food and Drug Administration have a duty to monitor relations between foodstuffs and health and to commission research when reasonable doubt emerges…The Food Standards Agency takes public concerns very seriously and thus pressed the European Scientific Committee on Food to conduct a further review, encompassing over 500 reports, in 2002. It concluded from biochemical, clinical, and behavioural research that the acceptable daily intake of aspartame remained entirely safe-except for people with phenylketonuria.”

Unfounded Allegations
The overwhelming body of scientific evidence clearly demonstrates that aspartame, even in amounts many times what people typically consume, is safe and not associated with adverse health effects. However, over the years, some consumers have reported symptoms, which they believed were associated with aspartame. The FDA has investigated these allegations and concluded that there is no “reasonable evidence of possible public health harm” and “no consistent or unique patterns of symptoms reported with respect to aspartame that can be causally linked to its use.” In 1984, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reviewed 517 of these anecdotal reports and stated, “the majority of frequently reported symptoms were mild and are symptoms that are common in the general populace” and that “focused” clinical studies would be the best way to evaluate these complaints.
As a result, numerous scientific studies “focused” on the allegations were conducted by expert researchers at major academic institutions. The results of these studies overwhelmingly demonstrate that aspartame is not associated with adverse health effects, including headaches, seizures, changes in mood, cognition or behavior, or allergic reactions.

Despite the overwhelming documentation of aspartame’s safety, unfounded allegations that aspartame is associated with a myriad of ailments, including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and lupus, have continued to be spread via the Internet and the media by a few individuals who have no documented scientific or medical expertise. Recently, several governments and expert scientific committees carefully evaluated the Internet allegations and found them to be false, reconfirming the safety of aspartame. In addition, leading health authorities, such as the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, The National Parkinson Foundation, Inc., the Alzheimer’s Association, and the Lupus Foundation of America, have concluded that the Internet claims are false.

The Future

Consumer research shows that low-calorie foods and beverages have become part of the lifestyle of millions of men and women who want to stay in better overall health, control their weight, or simply enjoy the many low-calorie products available. Aspartame helps provide calorie-conscious consumers with a wide variety of good-tasting, low-calorie products that are easily incorporated into a healthful lifestyle.

Acesulfame K

Posted by & filed under Acesulfame K.

Discovered in 1967 by Hoechst AG, acesulfame potassium (also known as acesulfame K) is a high-intensity, non-caloric sweetener. It is approximately 200 times sweeter than sucrose. Acesulfame K has a clean, quickly perceptible, sweet taste that does not linger or leave an aftertaste. Acesulfame K is not metabolized by the body and is excreted unchanged. It is sold under the brand name Sunett™ by Nutrinova, Inc., a business of Celanese AG.

Acesulfame K is currently used in thousands of foods, beverages, oral hygiene and pharmaceutical products in about 90 countries. Among these are tabletop sweeteners, desserts, puddings, baked goods, soft drinks, candies and canned foods.

In the United States, acesulfame K was granted general purpose approval in December 2003. It is approved for use in numerous products including chewing gum, dry beverage mixes, dry dessert mixes, dry dairy analog bases, tabletop sweeteners, confections, soft candy, hard candy (including breath mints, cough drops and lozenges), baked goods, dairy products, carbonated beverages and alcoholic beverages.

Benefits

  • Helps Reduce Calories — Since acesulfame K is not metabolized, it contributes no calories. By substituting acesulfame K for sugar in foods and beverages, calories can be reduced substantially, or, in some products, practically eliminated.
  • Remains Stable Under High Temperatures — The sweet taste of acesulfame K remains unchanged during baking. Even at oven temperatures over 200ºC, acesulfame K shows no indications of breaking down or losing its sweet taste. Beverages containing acesulfame K also can be pasteurized under normal pasteurizing conditions without loss of sweetness.
  • Excellent Shelf Life — Acesulfame K has a high degree of stability over a wide range of pH and temperature storage conditions.
  • Tastes Sweet and Clean — Acesulfame K has a clean, quickly perceptible sweet taste that does not linger. Acesulfame K generally does not exhibit any off-taste in foods and soft drinks.
  • Synergistic — Acesulfame K can provide a synergistic sweetening effect when combined with other non-nutritive sweeteners.
  • Does Not Promote Tooth Decay — Acesulfame K does not contribute to dental caries.
  • Useful in Diabetic Diets — Studies have shown that acesulfame K has no effect on serum glucose, cholesterol, or triglycerides. People with diabetes may incorporate products containing acesulfame K into their balanced diet.

Safety

More than 90 studies have demonstrated the safety of acesulfame K. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration permitted the use of acesulfame K after evaluating numerous studies and determining it is safe for its intended use.

The FDA approved acesulfame K for use in liquid non-alcoholic beverages (soft drinks) on July 6, 1998. FDA has reaffirmed acesulfame K’s safety on nine separate occasions by broadening its approval. A general use approval was granted by the FDA in December of 2003.

The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), the scientific advisory body to the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, reviewed the available research on acesulfame K and concluded that it is safe. JECFA has also established an ADI of 15 mg/kg of body weight.

The Scientific Committee for Food of the European Union published a comprehensive assessment of sweetening agents in 1985. This committee of toxicological experts from the EU member countries accepted acesulfame K for use in foods and beverages. Acesulfame K has been used in Europe since 1983, and in the U.S. since 1988, with no known documented adverse health effects.

Multiple Ingredient Approach to Calorie Control

Americans continually are searching for good-tasting, low-calorie products to consume as part of an overall healthy lifestyle. Recent surveys continue to show that calorie-conscious consumers want additional low-calorie foods and beverages.

The development and approval of a variety of safe low-calorie sweeteners, fat substitutes and other low-calorie ingredients is helping to meet this demand. The availability of several low-calorie ingredients allows food manufacturers to choose the most appropriate ingredient, or combination of ingredients, for a given product. When acesulfame K is combined with other low-calorie sweeteners, they enhance each other so that the combinations are sweeter than the sum of the individual sweeteners with significantly improved taste profiles.

Future

Testing of acesulfame K has shown good performance in juices, fruit preparations and dairy products. It is also an excellent sweetener for use in baked goods, a market which has great potential for low-calorie sweeteners, and is well suited for use in toothpaste, mouthwashes and pharmaceuticals.

Acesulfame K’s good taste, stability and solubility make it suitable for numerous products. The availability of a variety of low-calorie sweeteners will expand the market to provide products with improved taste, increased stability, lower manufacturing costs, and, ultimately, more choices for the consumer.

More information is available at www.acesulfamek.org.

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Hartl, Brigitte., “Influence of Sweetener Solutions on Insulin Secretion and Blood Glucose Level.” August Bier European Society for Ecology and Medicine, Medical School of Hanover. Vol. 40, No.4, Berlin 1993.

Linke, H.A.B., “Sweeteners and Dental Health: The Influence of Sugar Substitutes on Oral Microorganism.” In: Developments in Sweeteners – 3. T.H. Grenby, ed., Elsevier Applied Science, London, 1987.

McCormick, R.D. “Legal clearance anticipated for new non-calorie sweetener with high temperature stability.” Prepared Foods, No. 153, pg. 5, May 1984.

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von Rymon Lipinski, G.-W and Hanger, L.Y.., “Acesulfame-K.” In: Alternative Sweeteners, Third Edition. L. O’Brien Nabors, ed., Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 2001.

von Rymon Lipinski, G.-W.,”The New Intense Sweetener Acesulfame-K.” Food Chemistry 16: 259-269, 1985.

Ziesenitz, S.C. and Siebert, G., “Nonnutritive Sweeteners as Inhibitors of Acid Formation by Oral Microorganisms.” Caries Research 20: 498-502, 1986.

Ask an Expert

faq2Do you have questions about low-calorie sweeteners? Want to learn more about maintaining a healthy lifestyle? You asked and we listened. Our resident Registered Dietitians answered the most popular questions about low-calorie sweeteners.

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