Naturally occurring non-nutritive sweeteners: A review

Abstract

Today's well-informed consumer is demanding health promoting foods which not only have natural ingredients and are additive free, but also offer functional properties without compromising on the taste. Excessive consumption of sugar is a leading cause of non-communicable diseases, globally. Not more than 10% of the calories should be derived from sugar for optimal health. This has led to the increase in demand of food products containing sugar free alternatives. Therefore, naturally occurring non-nutritive sweeteners that have positive effects on the body weight as well as metabolism may facilitate in limiting the sugar intake and accomplishing the present recommendations. They are also an excellent alternative both for the consumers as well as the food industry in place of artificial sweeteners. These natural sweeteners are extracted from indigenous plants, provide insignificant calories, taste like sucrose, do not exhibit metallic after taste, and moreover, offer significant health benefits. The steviol glycosides and Luo Han Guo fruit (Monk fruit) are the natural extracts of plants, which are commercialized. In addition, numerous plant proteins such as thaumatin, brazzein, miraculin and several carbohydrates as rare sugars such as D-tagatose, D-allulose, D-sorbose and D-allose are being explored as potential substitutes to intense sweeteners which are reviewed in this paper. These are being extensively studied by the researchers for their physicochemical and functional properties and their possible use in low-calorie food formulations. They have a history of safe consumption by the natives of the country of their origin and have a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) or a novel food status.