Neotame

Neotame is an artificial sweetener derived from aspartame that is considered its potential successor. This sweetener has essentially the same qualities as aspartame, such as a sweet taste close to that of sucrose, without a bitter or metallic aftertaste. Neotame has advantages over aspartame, such as stability at a neutral pH, which makes its use in baked foods possible; not presenting a risk to individuals with phenylketonuria; and being competitively priced. In powder form, neotame is stable for years, especially at mild temperatures; its stability in solution is pH and temperature dependent. Similar to aspartame, it supports heat treatment for short periods of time (Nofre and Tinti, 2000; Prakash et al., 2002; Nikoleli and Nikolelis, 2012).

Compared with sucrose, neotame may be up to 13,000 times sweeter, and its temporal flavor profile in water is similar to that of aspartame, with a slightly slower response in relation to the sweet taste release. Even with an increase in concentration, attributes such as bitterness and metallic taste are not noticed (Prakash et al., 2002).

Neotame can be microencapsulated to promote controlled release, increase stability, and facilitate its application in food formulations, given that, due to its high sweetening power, an extremely small amount is used in formulations. Neotame microcapsules obtained by spray drying with maltodextrin and gum arabic as the encapsulating agents have been applied in chewing gum, resulting in improved stability of the sweetener and promoting its gradual release (Yatka et al., 2005).

At the present time, neotame is available to food manufacturers for sweetening processed foods but not directly to consumers for home use. Neotame is similar to aspartame, and is a derivative of the amino species, phenylalanine and aspartic acid. In 2002, neotame was approved by the FDA as an all-purpose sweetener. This sweetener has essentially the same qualities as aspartame, having no bitter or metallic aftertaste. Neotame is strongly sweet, with a sweetening power between 7000 and 13,000 times of sucrose. It is approximately 30–60 times sweeter than aspartame.