Low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) are a group of food additives characterized by their high sweetness intensity and virtually zero caloric content, attributes that make them potential substitutes for added sugars in processed foods and beverages. However, there is currently scarce information available about both the different LNCS used in food products available in Spain and their consumption patterns. Prompted by these reasons, the aim of this research work was to identify the presence and consumption of LNCS in food and beverages consumed by a representative sample of the Spanish adult population (n = 507). For this purpose, a Food Frequency Questionnaire was carried out. Overall, it was found that 4.5% of the foods and 22.3% of the beverages consumed by the surveyed population contained LNCS. The food groups that presented the highest percentage of daily servings containing LNCS were non-alcoholic beverages such as soft drinks and juices (36.1%); sugars and sweets such as chocolates, candies, or chewing gum (14.2%); milk and dairy products (7.0%); meat and derivative products (5.1%); cereals and derivatives (4.3%); appetizers (1.7%); and, finally, sauces and condiments such as ketchup or mustard (1.0%). The main LNCS consumed were acesulfame-K, sucralose, sorbitol, aspartame, and cyclamate, although their prevalence of use differs greatly among foods, beverages, or tabletop sweeteners. Our results show the great diversity of food groups that are currently including these compounds as ingredients. Consequently, there is a need for these food additives to be included in food composition databases, which should be regularly updated to include LNCS in order to facilitate their assessment and monitoring in dietary nutritional surveys.

The intake of alkylresorcinols and lignans in Spain is unknown due to the lack of information on the content of these compounds in particular foods. This paper describes the development of the first alkylresorcinol and lignan database adapted to the Spanish diet, including foods items especially relevant for this population. The values of alkylresorcinols and lignans in common foods and beverages were collected from scientific publications in refereed journals, and other foods particularly consumed in Spain, for which values were not available, were analyzed by standardized protocols and included into the database. The Alignia database presents the content of alkylresorcinols in 88 food items and the lignan content of 593 foods and beverages. Using the database, the intake of lignans in Spain, calculated using data from the Food Composition Panel based on household consumption, was estimated to be 0.76 mg/day.

The use of low and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) in food and beverages has become increasingly common in the development and reformulation of products to reduce energy derived from added sugars. Our aim was to identify the presence and consumption of LNCS through food and beverages according to consumption patterns in a representative sample (n = 256) of the Portuguese adult population. The study had a descriptive cross-sectional observational design and was based on the application of a Food Frequency Questionnaire. Overall, it was found that 4.1% of the foods and 16.7% of the beverages consumed by the Portuguese adult population contained LNCS. Food groups mostly contributing to LNCS consumption were non-alcoholic beverages such as soft drinks and juices (34.2%); milk and dairy products (16.5%); appetizers such as chips (8.6%); sugars and sweets such as chocolates, candies, or chewing gums (6.1%); meat and derivative products (2.2%); cereals and derivatives (1.2%) and canned fruits (1.2%). Main LNCS consumed were acesulfame-K, sucralose, and aspartame, single or combined, although their prevalence of use differs greatly among foods, beverages, or tabletop sweeteners. In conclusion, LNCS were found across a wide variety of products available in the Portuguese market and their prevalence of inclusion in the diet of the population evidences the need to develop more studies on the evolution of LNCS intake and its impact on the full dietary model and health. Consequently, these food additives should be included in food composition databases and, periodically, updated to reflect the recurrent reformulation strategies adopted by the food industry in its efforts to reduce the energy contribution of added sugars.