Any sweetener other than sugars, honey, honeydew and syrups falls into the category of food additives. Each substance is subject to scientific safety assessments, now attributed to EFSA, which precede its authorization for use, albeit conditional on compliance with the DGA (Admissible Daily Intakes).
In the macro-category of sweeteners other than sugars, a first distinction must be made between
- 'mass' sweeteners, generally of vegetable origin,
- intensive sweeteners, almost always synthetic.
Sweeteners (sweeteners) are food additives used in place of sugar to give a sweet taste to food, in the manufacture of food products with reduced energy value, non-cariogenic products and foods without added sugars to prolong their shelf life as well as for the production of dietetic products.
(Directive 94/35 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 June 1994 on sweeteners for use in food)
Sweeteners, the warnings on the label
La name of the food which contains one or more sweeteners, authorized pursuant to reg. CE 1333/08, must bear the wording 'with sweetener / I.'.
On the other hand, when the product contains both one or more added sugars and one or more sweeteners, its name must be integrated 'with sugar (s) and sweetener (s)'.
Products containing aspartame, aspartame salt, acesulfame, must also carry the warning on the label 'contains aspartame (a source of phenylalanine)'.
If, on the other hand, the foods contain polyols in quantities greater than 10%, it must be communicated 'excessive consumption can have laxative effects'. (1)
The presence of sweeteners also emerges from the ingredients list, where they appear with their name - or alternatively the authorization code E… - preceded by the term 'sweeteners'.
Footnotes
(1) v. reg. UE 1169/11, Annex III, point 2
