A new sugar substitute called advantame was approved on Monday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
This high-intensity sweetener, can be used in baked goods, soft drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages, chewing gum, candies, frostings, frozen desserts, gelatins and puddings, jams and jellies, processed fruits and fruit juices, toppings and syrups.
It is approximately 20,000 times sweeter than sugar and an estimated 100 times sweeter than aspartame, according to the Calorie Control Council. All while adding few or no calories to the diet and has no apparent affect on blood-sugar levels.
“Sugar substitutes are called ‘high-intensity’ because small amounts pack a large punch when it comes to sweetness,” said Capt. Andrew Zajac, of the U.S. Public Health Service and director of the FDA’s division of petition review.
However the FDA cautions that advantage is chemically similar to aspartame (known by brand name Equal). People who have a genetic condition called phenylketonuria (PKU) should avoid or limit their use of aspartame. People with PKU have difficulty metabolizing phenylalanine, a component of both aspartame and advantame.
But since the amount of advantage needed to sweeten a beverage, for example, will be less, officials have decided not to put a warning on labels for people with PKU.
S.C. Rhyne is a blogger and novelist in New York City. Follow the author on Twitter @ReporterandGirl, http://Facebook.com/TheReporterandTheGirl and visit her website at http://www.SCRhyne.com
