Sucralose
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Sucralose is a potent non-caloric sweetener, also known by the trade name Splenda. It is 500–700 times sweeter than sucrose, making it roughly twice as sweet as saccharin. It is manufactured by the selective chlorination of sucrose, by which three of sucrose's hydroxyl groups are substituted with chlorine atoms to produce 1,6-dichloro-1,6-dioxy-β-D-fructo-furanosyl 4-chloro-4-deoxy-α-D-galactopyranoside. Unlike aspartame, it is stable under heat and over a broad range of pH conditions, and can be used in baking, or in products that require a long shelf life.
Sucralose was discovered in 1976 by scientists from Tate & Lyle PLC working with researchers at Queen Elizabeth College (now part of Kings College London).
It was first approved for use in Canada (where it has sometimes been marketed as Splendar) in 1991. Subsequent approvals came in Australia in 1993, in New Zealand in 1996, in the United States in 1998, and in the European Union in 2004. As of 2005, it has been approved in over 40 countries, including Brazil, China, and Japan.
Tate & Lyle manufactures sucralose at a plant in McIntosh, Alabama, with additional capacity under construction in Singapore. It is used in products such as candy, breakfast bars and soft drinks.SplendaFront.JPG
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Most products containing sucralose add bulking agents and additional sweetener to bring the product to the approximate volume and texture of an equivalent amount of sugar. Pure sucralose is sold in bulk, but not in quantities suitable for individual use. Pure dry sucralose undergoes some degradation at elevated temperatures; in solution or when blended with maltodextrin, it is more stable.
While sucralose has withstood the scrutiny of several national and international food safety regulatory bodies, some individuals and organizations remain sceptical that it poses no long-term health risk. Sucralose is an organochlorine compound, a family of chemicals that includes many carcinogens. Tate & Lyle currently faces two lawsuits in U.S. courts from manufacturers of sugar and of competing artificial sweeteners, alleging that its marketing slogan, "made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar," deceives consumers into believing that sucralose is a natural product.
Use in Branded products
Coca-Cola and Pepsi released new versions of their colas (Coke C2 and Pepsi EDGE) replacing half of the traditional high fructose corn syrup with sucralose (C2 uses both aspartame and sucralose). In 2005, Coca-Cola released a new formulation of Diet Coke sweetened with sucralose, called Diet Coke with Splenda; while Pepsi has released an updated Pepsi ONE using sucralose instead of aspartame although both formulations, new and old, use acesulfame potassium, another intense sweetener.
Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages released 7UP Plus in August 2004, a drink containing fruit juices and Splenda. In May 2005, they released Diet 7UP, using Splenda.
External links
- The Splenda home page (http://www.splenda.com/)
- FDA press announcement (http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/tpsucral.html) - FDA report on the effects of splenda
- Truth About Splenda (http://www.truthaboutsplenda.com/index.html) - anti-Splenda website created by the Sugar Association of America
- Sensible practical knowledge about Splenda (http://www.low-carb.us/) A pro-Splenda website created by the world's first (most prolific and best-known) Splenda cookbook author, whose family has consumed more Splenda in the last 14 years than any other in the world, and whose children have grown up on Splenda instead of sugar.
- Splenda Faces New Lawsuit in US (http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/news-NG.asp?n=57688-splenda-faces-new) Food Navigator, January 28, 2005
- Splenda War Turns Sour (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6936203/) MSNBC, February 8, 2005
- £97m Investment to Significantly Boost Splenda® Sucralose Output (http://193.35.126.50/PressReleases/PressRelease1287.asp), describing new manufacturing plant in Singaporede:Sucralose