Food additives Europe numbers: E961
Neotame is an artificial sweetener, not a medication [1]. Here's a breakdown of its key points:
- Function: It's a non-caloric sweetener, meaning it adds sweetness to food without adding calories. Neotame is much sweeter than table sugar (sucrose) – around 6,000 to 10,000 times sweeter [1, 2].
- Chemical classification: Neotame is an aspartame analog, meaning it's chemically similar to aspartame, another artificial sweetener [1].
- Benefits: Due to its intense sweetness, smaller amounts are needed to achieve desired sweetness in foods. It may also be useful for baked goods because it's more stable at high temperatures compared to some other sweeteners [2].
- Safety: Neotame is generally considered safe for consumption by regulatory bodies like the FDA in the US and EFSA in Europe, when used within approved guidelines [1, 3].
- Applications: It can be used in various low-calorie food products like beverages, yogurt, desserts, and baked goods [2]. However, its use is not as widespread as some other sweeteners.
Here are some additional things to keep in mind about neotame:
- Some people may experience a slight aftertaste with neotame [2].
- Like many artificial sweeteners, research on the long-term effects of neotame consumption is ongoing [4].
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