Characteristics of aspartame

Aspartame (E951) is a synthetic dipeptide artificial sweetener, frequently used in foods, medications, and beverages, notably carbonated and powdered soft drinks. Aspartame is an intense sweetener, which is almost 180-200 times sweeter than sucrose, with a respective low calorific value.

Aspartame is a synthetic dipeptide formed by the reaction of L-aspartic acid with L-phenylalanine methyl ester. The true chemical name is N-L-αaspartyl-L-phenylalanine-1 methyl ester. It was first marketed as NutraSweet and Equal and is now freely available in supermarkets.

It is a white crystalline, odorless intensively sweet powder has the molecular formula C14H18N2 O5 along with the molar mass 294.31 g/mol. The density of Aspartame is 1.347 g/cm3 with a high melting point, between 246-247°C. Under strong alkaline and acidic conditions aspartame hydrolyzed.

Aspartame is composed of 57.1% carbon, 6.2% hydrogen, 9.5% nitrogen, and 27.2% oxygen.

Aspartame is stable in the dry state and in frozen products. However, when stored in liquids at more than 30°C, it progressively converts into diketopiperazine, which is partially degraded into methanol, aspartic acid and phenylalanine.
Characteristics of aspartame

Characteristics of High-Fructose Corn Syrup

HFCS (High-Fructose Corn Syrup) is called isoglucose in England and glucose-fructose in Canada, and was first introduced to the food and beverage industry in the late 1960s (HFCS-42 in 1967) and 1970s (HFCS-55 in 1977) to improve stability and functionality of various foods and beverages. HFCS usage underwent rapid growth during the 1980s, especially in beverage applications.

By the 1990s, HFCS was well established as a stable, domestic sweetener in the United States, where its use is second only to sucrose.

HFCS provides better flavor enhancement, stability, freshness, texture, color, pourability, and consistency in foods in comparison to sucrose. The development of these inexpensive, sweet corn-based syrups made it profitable to replace sucrose (sugar) and simple sugars with HFCS in human diet.

High fructose corn syrup is a clear, sweet, low-viscosity liquid. It is very similar to sucrose (table sugar) and honey in composition, sweetness, calories and metabolism. HFCS is composed of either 42% or 55% fructose, with the remaining sugars being primarily glucose and small amounts of higher sugars.

It is high in the simple sugar fructose which differentiates it from ordinary (dextrose) corn syrup. HFCS is hygroscopic (attracts moisture) and, thus, must currently be sold in syrup form.

It has a low potential for crystallization, often a problem in products with high solids and high sucrose or dextrose content.

HFCS contains amounts of riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, folic acid, vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc. The moisture content of this syrup is between 23% and 29%.

HFCS has many functional properties that improve foods and beverages. It provides energy, sweetness and moisture, and it enhances flavor and stability. HFCS enhances fruit and spice flavors, prolongs product freshness, aids in fermentation, provides product stability, and promotes cooked flavors and surface browning in baked goods.
Characteristics of High-Fructose Corn Syrup

Application acesulfame K in soft drinks

Acesulfame k can be used as a sweetening agent on a wide range of products for instance in low calorie products, diabetic foods, sugarless products, oral hygiene preparations, pharmaceuticals, and animal feeds. Low-caloric and calories-reduced beverages are a highly important field of applications for acesulfame K.

Acesulfame is suitable for low calories and diet beverages because of its good stability in aqueous solution even at low pH typical of diet soft drinks.

As with all intense sweeteners, sweetness potency of acesulfame K relative to sucrose decreases with increasing concentration and varies with the medium in which the sweetener is being tested and the method used for quantifying sweetness.

The taste profile of acesulfame K is generally considered to be superior to saccharin.

It has a rapid onset time but the sweetness quality is marred by a bitter astringent aftertaste that is particularly noticeable at higher concentrations.

The taste quality of blends with acesulfame K with other sweetness is superior to single sweeteners even at the fairly high sweetens level of these beverages.

When acesulfame K is blended with other sweeteners for beverage use, it may be reasonable to deviate from blend rations which provide the highest synergistic sweetness enhancement.

Especially in blends of acesulfame K and aspartame variation of blend rations allows modifications of the time-intensity profile of sweetness and adaptation to flavour profiles.

High levels of synergisms (30% and above) occur with aspartame and to a lesser extent with cyclamate, glucose, fructose and sucrose.

Acesulfame K containing beverages can be pasteurized under normal pasteurization conditions without loss of sweetness.

Pasteurization for longer periods at lower temperature is possible, as is short-term pasteurization for a few seconds at high temperature.
Application acesulfame K in soft drinks