What is neotame?
Neotame is the newest of the artificial sweeteners approved for general use in the U.S. Like aspartame, it is composed of aspartic acid and phenylalanine. However, neotame is structurally different which makes it about 40 times sweeter than aspartame, or approximately 8,000 times sweeter than sugar. While structurally different, neotame is still metabolized like aspartame. It is completely broken down into aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Because only trace amounts of neotame are required to mimic the sweetness of sugar, it contributes no calories. Use as a tabletop product and packaged food ingredient is anticipated. Neotame can be used in the same foods and beverages as both aspartame and acesulfame K. What is saccharin? Saccharin was discovered more than 100 years ago, which makes it the oldest of the artificial sweeteners. Its sweetness depends on how it is used, and ranges from 200 to 700 times sweeter than sugar. In the U.S., saccharin is approved as a special dietary sweetener w
Neotame is a sugar substitute that is 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than regular table sugar. Like other artificial sweeteners, only a small amount of the substance is needed to be an effective flavor enhancer. In fact, this is what makes neotame of great interest to manufacturers of food products, since it is considerably less expensive to use as a sweetener than refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Manufactured by NutraSweet, neotame is the latest newcomer to the family of artificial sweeteners, which include sucralose, acesulfame potassium, saccharin, and aspartame. The latter sugar substitute is also produced by NutraSweet and sold under the same name. In addition, neotame has a chemical structure more similar to aspartame than other synethic sweeteners, although it is considered more heat stable. In fact, it can be used in cooking and baking. Since artificial sweeteners are considered food additives, they must meet with approval by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) befor
Back to Neotame Toxicity Info Ctr / Back to Health Page. Neotame is the technical name for a new sweetener developed by Monsanto Chemical Corp. It is reported to be approximately 8,000 times sweeter than sugar. The chemical formula for neotame was published in the February 10, 1998 Federal Register. It is quite similar in structure to Monsanto’s toxic sweetener aspartame. There have not been any legitimate, independent, long-term human studies on neotame. Go to next question: Will Neotame Be Approved and If So, When?
