Alitame
INS 956
INS 956, alitame, Aclame
What it is
Alitame (INS 956) is a synthetic high-intensity sweetener built from amino-acid components. JECFA describes it as approximately 2,000 times sweeter than sucrose.
Why BOTIA flags it
Alitame is around 2,000 times sweeter than sugar, so only milligrams are needed — and the ingredient list cannot show how much was used. It is built from amino-acid components and is broken down after ingestion; JECFA set an ADI of 0–1 mg/kg body weight. Unlike most common high-intensity sweeteners, alitame has limited and uneven market authorisation: it is permitted in Australia/New Zealand, China and Mexico, while the EU does not authorise it and its US food-additive petition was withdrawn.
BOTIA CAN
- Detect alitame, Aclame and INS 956 when explicitly declared.
- Explain its extreme sweetness, amino-acid-derived structure, JECFA acceptable daily intake and the major differences in market authorisation.
BOTIA CANNOT
- Determine how many milligrams of alitame are present from the ingredient declaration alone.
- Assume that INS or Codex recognition makes alitame legal in every market, or determine compliance with a local maximum level without knowing the amount and jurisdiction.