Sweeteners

Not sugar. But not neutral either.

Sweeteners add sweetness with little or no energy. Non-sugar sweeteners and sugar alcohols are different categories with different criteria.

Why this matters

WHO advised in 2023 against using non-sugar sweeteners for weight control. The recommendation is conditional and is not a safety assessment. It does not apply to sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, maltitol, xylitol and erythritol, which the guideline explicitly excludes.

What BOTIA looks for

BOTIA detects non-sugar sweeteners — aspartame, acesulfame K, sucralose, saccharin, cyclamates, advantame, neotame, steviol glycosides — and separately, sugar alcohols, which provide energy and fall under different criteria.

BOTIA CAN

  • Detect non-sugar sweeteners declared on the label.
  • Flag sugar alcohols that may cause digestive effects in large quantities.
  • Signal when a 'sugar-free' product contains multiple sweeteners.

BOTIA CANNOT

  • Tell you whether sweeteners are safe for you personally.
  • Quantify your daily sweetener intake or cumulative exposure.
  • Replace medical or nutritional advice.

If you are monitoring sweetener intake, check both the ingredient list and the nutrition label.

Sources: WHO Non-Sugar Sweeteners (2023) · EFSA Sweeteners Re-evaluation

Learn more about sweeteners