I’m curious. In other countries what kinds of artificial sweeteners are used? I’ve always been bugged that cyclamates got a bad rap. Are they used anywhere?
After tasting foods with Splenda and AceK I’m convinced ASPARTAME will one day be a thing of the past.
So if I travel to Germany or Brazil, or China and want a diet soda, what kind of sweetener will be in it?
The most common ones here in the UK (and presumably in the EU) are
acesulfame K (E950), aspartame (E951) and saccharin (3 E954).
I don’t like the taste of diet sodas, yogurts etc. I guess it’s something that could be aquired but I’ll still with sugar for now.
I understand Splenda is shortly to be launched here (I haven’t noticed it on the shelves yet, so assume it’s not happened yet). I’ll probably try it when it does.
Umm, what is Acek?
AceK is short for Acesulfame potassium. It makes diet soda taste more like regular soda (have you tried a diet Sprite lately? It has an AceK/NutraSweet blend and it’s terrific!)
Splenda, in my opinion, is even better than AceK.
Splenda is well-named. I use it regularly in coffee and iced tea.
Unfortunately, I’ve found that commercial “diet” drinks made with Splenda still to be undrinkable.
The Splenda web site says it has been approved in more than 50 countries.
Have you tried any of the Diet Rite sodas? They have an AceK/Splenda blend. I found them quite good.
I’m wondering if cyclamates are used anywhere in the world yet.
Or when the U.S. banned them did everyone else too?
When I l(very occasionally) look at the labels of soft drinks etc. the artificial seweeteners used here in Germany seem to be aspartame-based. I hardly encounter saccharine anymore. Artificial sweeteners that yo get in caf’es are also aspartame.
Never heard of Splenda. If it’s the Next Big Thing it will surely be here soon, too.
BTW what the media here say more and more is that artificial sweeteners aren’t really useful for keeping one’s weight - they make the body anticipate sugar, and when the body notices it has been duped you get hungry…
I’ve heard that, but I’m not sure I buy it. Can anyone expand on that theory? I drink diet soda not for weight control but because sugar is bad for my teeth.
Reformed sugar junkie here. Refined sugar makes me crave more sugar, so I gave it up. Ditto white flour, white potatoes, white rice and corn. All spike my blood sugar levels quickly, leaving me craving sweets, so I gave them up, too. Artificial sweeteners, OTOH, (especially Splenda and Aspartame) tend to satisfy my little cravings I get from time to time, without causing more cravings. And I’m down 25 pounds since the first of the year.
Aha. Over here they have recently released “Sprite Zero” which is sold alongside Sprite Light yet is noticeably better. I’d wondered what the difference was and a quick look at the lable after reading your post has explained it to me. Thanks!
Also, as a diabetic I thank the Lord for artificial sweetners. I don’t care what bitter aftertaste you get or anything like that. Sugared soft drinks are just not an option for me.
Splenda is the trade name for sucralose, which is produced by replacing some oxygen molecules in sucrose with chlorine.
There is a sweet herb named Stevia that is widely used in parts of Paraguay and Bolivia.
Nutrasweet seems to have taken over completely in Australia. Horrible stuff.
Splenda is wonderful. Not only does it taste good, it’s heat-stable and can be used in baked goods.
Stevia also can be purchased at health food stores in the US. I haven’t tried it yet but it’s supposed to be good.
From what I’ve read the Feds have a chip on their shoulder over this stuff, but I can’t find any real good reason why. Though you can buy it legally, they won’t let it be sold on the market as a sweetner. I guess it has to be called a “Dietary supplement” or something like that.
i love equal, which is mmm… aspartame based…
i put it in cereal like corn flakes and rice krispies, ill put it on strawberries, hell ill even eat it straight out of the packet…
pepsi one contains aspartame… no wonder i like it… i really dont like any other diet drinks. it also contains caffieine which is why im not asleep right now…
My dear little pkbites! The Feds don’t need a good reason to have a chip on their shoulder! That’s why they’re the Feds! Anyway, the reason they won’t allow Stevia to be marketed as a sweetener yet, is that the FDA has not yet tested and approved it as a food product. Personally, I haven’t tried it, but as expensive as it is (which might change if it were approved by the FDA), it would have to be a hell of a lot better than Splenda for me to switch!
Pepesi One is sweetened by an Aspartame/AceK (acesulfame potassium) blend. For diet soda it’s very good stuff, due to the AceK in my opinion.