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Food Science & Technology vocabulary · Ingredients and Additives

Sweetener

Meaning in food science & technology, with examples

/ˈswitnər/nounCommon term

In food science & technology, sweetener means: A substance used to give food a sweet taste; it often means intense sweeteners such as sucralose or stevia, which are much sweeter than sugar and add few or no calories.

In Turkish: tatlandırıcı

How it is used

Food engineers separate intense sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame K, sucralose, steviol glycosides) from bulk sweeteners or polyols (sorbitol, maltitol, erythritol), which also add body. Replacing sugar often needs extra ingredients for texture. Products with a high level of polyols may need a laxative-effect warning.

Example sentences

  1. We replaced half the sugar with a stevia-based sweetener, but the panel noticed a bitter aftertaste.

  2. Each sweetener has its own approved uses and maximum levels.

Common collocations

  • intense sweetener
  • artificial sweetener
  • bulk sweetener
  • sugar replacement
  • no added sugar
  • food additiveA substance that is not normally eaten as a food by itself but is added in small amounts for a technical purpose, such as preserving, coloring, thickening or sweetening.
  • carbohydrateOne of the main groups of nutrients, including sugars, starch and fiber, made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen; it is the main source of energy in most diets.
  • E numberA code made of the letter E and a number, such as E330 for citric acid, that identifies a food additive approved for use in the European Union.
  • sensory evaluationThe scientific testing of food with the human senses (sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing) by trained panels or by consumers.

More terms: Ingredients and Additives

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