Actualización sobre aspectos científico-técnicos y regulatorios de los edulcorantes bajos en o sin calorías / Update for scientific-technical and regulatory data about low and non-calorie sweeteners

FUNDAMENTOS: El término edulcorante ha tenido desde hace más de 40 años una gran presencia en la información científico-técnica, en la legislación alimentaria, así como en la información dirigida a los profesionales de la salud, alimentación, nutrición y dietética y, en los medios de comunicación. MÉTODOS: Se ha realizado un trabajo de análisis bibliográfico en las bases de datos PubMed, Science Direct, Bucea (Biblioteca Complutense de Madrid) y Google Académico. Se han consultado las bases de datos oficiales, la legislación y regulación vigente, tanto a nivel de la Unión Europea como de España. Además, se han analizado los datos en las encuestas de ingesta dietética de ámbito nacional. RESULTADOS: Existe legislación específica en la Unión Europea que regula la autorización de edulcorantes bajos en o sin calorías, no hay encuestas dietéticas en España que reflejen a nivel cuantitativo la presencia de edulcorantes bajos en o sin calorías en los productos alimenticios, a excepción del estudio ANIBES. CONCLUSIONES: Las autoridades de seguridad alimentaria y nutrición, en España y Unión Europea, deben seguir velando por la aprobación, regulación y monitorización de los edulcorantes bajos en o sin calorías

BACKGROUND: For more than 40 years, the term sweetener has had a great presence in scientific and technical information, in food legislation, as well as the information aimed at health, food, nutrition and dietetic professionals and in the media. METHODS: The analysis has been carried out in the databases PubMed, Science Direct, Bucea (Biblioteca Complutense de Madrid) and Google Académico. The official databases, legislation and regulations in force have been consulted, both at the level of the European Union and Spain. In addition, for the national dietary intake surveys have been analyzed the data. RESULTS: There is specific legislation in the European Union that regulates the authorisation of low and non-calorie sweeteners. There are no dietary surveys in Spain that quantitatively reflect the presence of low and non-calorie sweeteners in food products, with the exception of the ANIBES study. CONCLUSIONS: Food safety and nutrition authorities, European and Spanish level, must continue to ensure the approval, regulation and monitoring of low and non-calorie sweeteners

Understanding functionality of sucrose in biscuits for reformulation purposes.

We review the functionality of sucrose during the manufacture of biscuits from the perspective of sugar replacement. Besides to providing sweetness, sucrose has important functionalities concerning structure and texture formation. These functionalities also need to be mimicked in reformulated biscuits. First, we review the hypotheses concerning the development of structure and texture of biscuits during manufacturing, which are conveniently summarized in a qualitative way using the Complex Dispersed Systems methodology. Subsequently, we represent the changes of the state of the biscuit during manufacturing in the supplemented state diagram, which indicates the important phase transitions occurring during mixing and baking. We propose that when reformulated biscuits follow similar paths in the state diagram, similar structures and textures can be obtained. Physical theories exist for predicting these phase transitions for existing sucrose-rich biscuits and also reformulated biscuits containing extensive sweeteners as sugar replacers. More accurate predictions of structure and texture can be eventually obtained if they are combined with computational models, including heat and moisture transfer.

A systems biology approach to explore the impact of maple tree dormancy release on sap variation and maple syrup quality.

Maple sap is a complex nutrient matrix collected during spring to produce maple syrup. The characteristics of sap change over the production period and its composition directly impacts syrup quality. This variability could in part be attributed to changes in tree metabolism following dormancy release, but little is known about these changes in deciduous trees. Therefore, understanding the variation in sap composition associated with dormancy release could help pinpoint the causes of some defects in maple syrup. In particular, a defect known as "buddy", is an increasing concern for the industry. This off-flavor appears around the time of bud break, hence its name. To investigate sap variation related to bud break and the buddy defect, we monitored sap variation with respect to a dormancy release index (Sbb) and syrup quality. First, we looked at variation in amino acid content during this period. We observed a shift in amino acid relative proportions associated with dormancy release and found that most of them increase rapidly near the point of bud break, correlating with changes in syrup quality. Second, we identified biological processes that respond to variation in maple sap by performing a competition assay using the barcoded Saccharomyces cerevisiae prototroph deletion collection. This untargeted approach revealed that the organic sulfur content may be responsible for the development of the buddy off-flavor, and that dormancy release is necessary for the appearance of the defect, but other factors such as microbial activity may also be contributing.

Natural sweeteners in a human diet.

Sweeteners, both natural and artificial, play an important role in a human diet as well as are of great importance to the food industry and dieticians. Many people associate sweet taste with sucrose, which is commonly known as table sugar. However, there are many sweet substances that food manufacturers add to food products because none of them is ideal for all applications. Besides sucrose there are also other sugars such as glucose and fructose that originate both from natural sources such as fruits and honey or from added sugars. Among sweeteners there are also compounds which have a sweet taste and contain no calories or those which sweetness is so intense so can be used at very low concentrations, thus, their impact on the total caloric value of the product is negligible. They can be classified due to their origin (natural or synthetic agents), the technological function (sweeteners and fillers), texture (powders and syrups), and nutritional value (caloric and non-caloric). Natural sweetening substances include carbohydrates, sugar alcohols, thaumatin and stevia. Besides providing well tasting foods, they might have an impact on products' texture, color, preservation and caloric value. Sugar alcohols, which belong to carbohydrates, are both natural sugar substitutes and food additives. They are becoming more and more popular among consumers mainly due to their lower caloric values and glycemic indexes as well as anticariogenic effects. Sugar alcohols are often combined with other sweeteners to enhance food products' sweetness. Stevia, which is 200 times sweeter than sucrose, is a non caloric substance whereas thaumatin, a sweet protein, provides 4 kcal/g but characterizes with sweetness about 2000 times higher than sucrose (on a weight basis).

Recommended school policies are associated with student sugary drink and fruit and vegetable intake.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between 8 recommended school obesity-related policies and student behaviors and weight in a cohort of Minnesota schools. METHOD: Existing surveillance surveys were used to examine the relationship between school policies to promote healthy eating and physical activity and student weight, diet, and activity behaviors from 2002 to 2006 among students (n=18,881) in a cohort of 37 Minnesota junior-senior high and high schools using fixed effects linear regression models. RESULTS: Each additional recommended policy was associated with a significant decrease in consumption of sugary drinks and an increase in consumption of fruits and vegetables. There were no associations with weekly hours of sedentary activities, days per week of vigorous activity, or body mass index percentile. CONCLUSION: Students attending schools that added recommended policies to promote healthy eating showed improved dietary behaviors, independent of secular trends compared with students in schools that did not add recommended policies.

Sweeteners from plants--with emphasis on Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) and Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle).

In addition to their widely recognized use as dietary supplement ingredients, plant-derived compounds are increasingly used as natural sweeteners. The search for nonnutritive sweeteners has been stimulated over the last 20-30 years by concern over demonstrated or suspected relationships between consumption of sucrose and high-fructose corn syrups and a variety of health-related conditions. In the USA, there is increased use of plant extracts known to contain highly sweet terpenoids. Purified extracts of Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) containing the diterpene glycosides stevioside and rebaudioside A are popular as sweeteners and are also used as dietary supplements, and soft drinks and nutritional and energy shakes incorporating extracts of Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) fruits containing sweet triterpene glycosides such as mogroside V are also on the market. Here, we review recent studies on these two important sources of noncaloric natural sweeteners, including analytical methods used to identify and quantify specific constituents and structural features relating to their sweetness. We also review the generally recognized as safe status of specific components and their status with respect to review by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives.

Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: use of nutritive and nonnutritive sweeteners.

It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that consumers can safely enjoy a range of nutritive sweeteners and nonnutritive sweeteners (NNS) when consumed within an eating plan that is guided by current federal nutrition recommendations, such as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Dietary Reference Intakes, as well as individual health goals and personal preference. A preference for sweet taste is innate and sweeteners can increase the pleasure of eating. Nutritive sweeteners contain carbohydrate and provide energy. They occur naturally in foods or may be added in food processing or by consumers before consumption. Higher intake of added sugars is associated with higher energy intake and lower diet quality, which can increase the risk for obesity, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. On average, adults in the United States consume 14.6% of energy from added sugars. Polyols (also referred to as sugar alcohols) add sweetness with less energy and may reduce risk for dental caries. Foods containing polyols and/or no added sugars can, within food labeling guidelines, be labeled as sugar-free. NNS are those that sweeten with minimal or no carbohydrate or energy. They are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration as food additives or generally recognized as safe. The Food and Drug Administration approval process includes determination of probable intake, cumulative effect from all uses, and toxicology studies in animals. Seven NNS are approved for use in the United States: acesulfame K, aspartame, luo han guo fruit extract, neotame, saccharin, stevia, and sucralose. They have different functional properties that may affect perceived taste or use in different food applications. All NNS approved for use in the United States are determined to be safe.

Quality of reviews on sugar-sweetened beverages and health outcomes: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Medical and public health decisions are informed by reviews, which makes the quality of reviews an important scientific concern. OBJECTIVE: We systematically assessed the quality of published reviews on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and health, which is a controversial topic that is important to public health. DESIGN: We performed a search of PubMed and Cochrane databases and a hand search of reference lists. Studies that were selected were published reviews and meta-analyses (June 2001 to June 2011) of epidemiologic studies of the relation between SSBs and obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and coronary heart disease. A standardized data-abstraction form was used. Review quality was assessed by using the validated instrument AMSTAR (assessment of multiple systematic reviews), which is a one-page tool with 11 questions. RESULTS: Seventeen reviews met our inclusion and exclusion criteria: obesity or weight (16 reviews), diabetes (3 reviews), metabolic syndrome (3 reviews), and coronary heart disease (2 reviews). Authors frequently used a strictly narrative review (7 of 17 reviews). Only 6 of 17 reviews reported quantitative data in a table format. Overall, reviews of SSBs and health outcomes received moderately low-quality scores by the AMSTAR [mean: 4.4 points; median: 4 points; range: 1-8.5 points (out of a possible score of 11 points)]. AMSTAR scores were not related to the conclusions of authors (8 reviews reported an association with a mean AMSTAR score of 4.1 points; 9 reviews with equivocal conclusions scored 4.7 points; P value = 0.84). Less than one-third of published reviews reported a comprehensive literature search, listed included and excluded studies, or used duplicate study selection and data abstraction. CONCLUSION: The comprehensive reporting of epidemiologic evidence and use of systematic methodologies to interpret evidence were underused in published reviews on SSBs and health.

Aspartame bioassay findings portend human cancer hazards.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should reevaluate its position on aspartame as being safe under all conditions. Animal bioassay results predict human cancer risks, and a recent animal study confirms that there is a potential aspartame risk to humans. Aspartame is produced and packaged in China for domestic use and global distribution. Japan, France, and the United States are also major producers. No study of long-term adverse occupational health effects on aspartame workers have been conducted. The FDA should consider sponsoring a prospective epidemiologic study of aspartame workers.

Political context of the World Health Organization: sugar industry threatens to scupper the WHO.

The Sugar Association, representing the U.S. sugar industry, is highly critical of a WHO report on guidelines for healthy eating, which suggests that sugar should account for no more than 10 percent of a healthy diet. The association has demanded that Congress end its funding of the World Health Organization unless the WHO withdraws the guidelines, and the association and six other big food industry groups have also asked the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to use his influence to get the WHO report withdrawn. The WHO strongly rejects the sugar lobby's criticisms.

Food sources of added sweeteners in the diets of Americans.

OBJECTIVE: To identify food sources of added sweeteners in the US diet. DESIGN: A descriptive study using data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) 1994-1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals. Each subject provided one 24-hour dietary recall. Intake of added sweeteners was calculated using the USDA Food Guide Pyramid servings database. SUBJECTS/SETTING: A national sample of noninstitutionalized persons aged 2 years and older (N = 15,010). STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Mean intakes of added sweeteners from all food sources and from specific food categories; percentage contribution of added sweeteners to total energy intake; and percentage contribution of each food category to total intake of added sweeteners. All analyses were conducted for the total sample and for 12 age-gender groups. RESULTS: During 1994 to 1996, Americans aged 2 years and older consumed the equivalent of 82 g carbohydrate per day from added sweeteners, which accounted for 16% of total energy intake. In absolute terms, adolescent males consumed the most; as a percentage of energy, male and female adolescents had the highest intakes (averaging 20% of total energy from added sweeteners). The largest source of added sweeteners was regular soft drinks, which accounted for one third of intake. Other sources were table sugars, syrups, and sweets; sweetened grains; regular fruitades/drinks; and milk products. APPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: Intakes of added sweeteners exceed levels compatible with meeting current dietary recommendations. Knowing food sources of added sweeteners for the overall population and for specific age-gender groups can help dietitians provide appropriate nutrition education.

Summary of the symposium establishing the safety of fat and macronutrient substitutes presented at the 33rd annual meeting of the Society of Toxicology, San Diego, California, March 13-17, 1994.

Macronutrient substitutes (MNS) are food ingredients designed to replace the organoleptic and/or functional properties of macronutrients such as fats or sugars in processed foods. Because they may be consumed in large quantities daily, traditional methods of safety evaluation are inappropriate. Conventional safety factors cannot be used in extrapolating animal data to humans due to the limitations of administering very large doses of MNS to animals. The proper evaluation of the safety of MNS involves appropriate studies in animals and humans including comparative biodispositional studies, genotoxicity and cytotoxicity studies, reproductive and developmental studies, mechanistic studies, digestive and fermentation studies, nutritional studies, and studies involving humans with special focus on gastrointestinal function. Guidelines for the proper conduct of human studies were presented and these include the use of competent investigators and IRB-approved protocols and the use of adequate numbers of healthy male and female volunteers. Postmarketing surveillance is the final step in the safety evaluation process for macronutrient substitutes. It was concluded that MNS should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Perspective on the 1986 Food and Drug Administration assessment of the safety of carbohydrate sweeteners: uniform definitions and recommendations for future assessments.

Carbohydrate sweeteners in the diet, which are sources of added sugars, have recently undergone changes that vary considerably among countries. The major driving force for these changes is a technological development that permits conversion of corn and other starches to sweeteners. Major changes in the type of sweeteners used in the United States began in the mid-1970s. In 1986 the US Food and Drug Administration comprehensively evaluated exposures and potential health effects of sugars contained in carbohydrate sweeteners. A UK Department of Health report followed in 1989. An overview of issues is provided, terminologies used to describe sugars and sweeteners are defined, the findings of the US and UK reports are reviewed, trends in the availability of added and naturally occurring sugars are evaluated, and recommendations for future assessment of sugars are discussed. The potential problem of underreporting of food intakes in national food consumption surveys is also reviewed.