Non-carbohydrate sweeteners are divided into two classes, those with a sweetness similar to sucrose are called bulk sweeteners and those with a sweetness that greatly exceeds that of sucrose are known as intense sweeteners. Bulk sweeteners supply similar calories as sugar, but as they are not metabolized in the same way, they are used as substitutes for sugar in the preparation of diabetic foods and they are also used in foods that are stored at low temperatures such as ice-cream. Bulk sweeteners include hydrogenated glucose syrup, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol and isomalt. The intense sweeteners include the synthetic sweeteners (artificial sweeteners) saccharin, cyclamate, aspartame, acesulfam-K, thaumatin, stevioside, sucralose and alitame.
The most controversial sweeteners are the cyclamates and saccharin. Cyclamates are banned in many countries on the strength of laboratory experiments which indicated that they could be tetragenic and carcinogenic. The evidence for these phenomena is, however, controversial. The IARC monographs list saccharine as a chemical for which there is sufficient evidence for carcinogenicity,37,39 but it still remains on the list of approved food additives. Aspartame is another problem sweetener because its effect is similar to that of MSG.33
Although the above list of food additives is by no means complete, it should be clear that the issue is indeed worthy of some concern. Legislation governing the use of food additives is not equally explicit in all countries, but most responsible bodies realize their duty in keeping the public informed. In most countries there is legislation which enforces the proper labelling of food items sold to the general public, and most nutritional organizations support the right of the public to know what is in the food they buy. In the United States new labelling guidelines are being considered with this very purpose in mind. The positions of the American Institute of Nutrition, the American Society for Clinical Nutrition and the American Dietetic Association also clearly underscore the policy that sound nutritional information should be provided to the
American public. They, however, also acknowledge the fact that substantial improvement in nutrition education of the public is necessary for food labelling to serve its purpose effectively.47 The policy of comprehensive food labelling affords each indivi