Sucralose is an artificial sweetener and sugar substitute.
The majority of ingested sucralose is not broken down by the body, so it is noncaloric.
It is produced by chlorination of sucrose, selectively replacing three of the hydroxy groups in the C1, C4, and C6 positions to give a 1,6-dichloro-1,6-dideoxyfructose–4-chloro-4-deoxygalactose disaccharide.
Sucralose is about 320 to 1,000 times sweeter than sucrose, three times as sweet as both aspartame and acesulfame potassium, and twice as sweet as sodium saccharin.
Largely considered shelf-stable and safe for use at elevated temperatures, such as in baked goods.
There is some evidence that it begins to break down at temperatures above 119 °C (246 °F).
The commercial success of sucralose-based products stems from its favorable comparison to other low-calorie sweeteners in terms of taste, stability and safety.
Sold under the Splenda brand name.
Sucralose is used in many food and beverage products because it is a no-calorie sweetener, does not promote dental cavities, is safe for consumption by diabetics and nondiabetics, and does not affect insulin levels.
The powdered form of sucralose-based sweetener product contains, 95% by volume, bulking agents dextrose and maltodextrin that do affect insulin levels.
Sucralose is used as a replacement for or in combination wit, ) other artificial or natural sweeteners such as aspartame, acesulfame potassium or high-fructose corn syrup.
It is used in products such as candy, breakfast bars, coffee pods, and soft drinks, in canned fruits wherein water and sucralose take the place of much higher calorie corn syrup-based additives.
Sucralose mixed with dextrose or maltodextrin, both made from corn, as bulking agents is sold under the Splenda brand name.
Sucralose is available in a granulated form that allows same-volume substitution with sugar.
Sucralose is not hygroscopic, which can lead to baked goods that are noticeably drier and manifest a less dense texture than those made with sucrose.
Unlike sucrose, which melts when baked at high temperatures, sucralose maintains its granular structure when subjected to dry, high heat.
Sucralose has been accepted as safe by several food safety regulatory bodies worldwide.
According to the Canadian Diabetes Association, the amount of sucralose that can be consumed over a person’s lifetime without any adverse effects is 9 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day.
The FDA indicates that consuming sucralose in typical amounts as a sweetener was safe, and the intake at which adverse effects are seen is 1500 mg/kg/day, providing a large margin of safety compared to the estimated daily intake.
The European Food Safety Authority proposed an ADI of 5 mg per kg (body weight) while the FDA established it as 15 mg per kg body weight, that is, 350–1050 mg per day for a person of 70 kg.
Most ingested sucralose is directly excreted in the feces, while about 11–27% is absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract.
The amount absorbed from the gut is largely removed from the blood by the kidneys and eliminated via urine, with 20–30% of absorbed sucralose being metabolized.
FDA data from more than 110 studies in humans and animals, designed to identify possible toxic effects including carcinogenic, reproductive and neurological effects: No such effects were found, and FDA’s approval is based on its finding that sucralose is safe for human consumption.
Numerous safety and toxicology studies on sucralose concluded that it is not carcinogenic.
However, high doses of sucralose have an immunomodulatory effect by limiting T cell proliferation and T cell differentiation in mice and thus probably in humans.
When sucralose is heated to above 120 °C (248 °F), it may dechlorinate and decompose into compounds that could be harmful enough to risk health: The risk and intensity of this adverse effect is suspected to increase with rising temperatures.
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment warned that cooking with sucralose could possibly lead to the creation of potentially carcinogenic chloropropanols, polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans, recommending that manufacturers and consumers avoid baking, roasting, or deep frying any sucralose-containing foods until a more conclusive safety report is available.
Adding sucralose to food that has not cooled is discouraged, as is buying sucralose-containing canned foods and baked goods.
Doses of Splenda (containing ~1% sucralose and ~99% maltodextrin by weight) between 100 and 1000 mg/kg BW/day, containing sucralose at 1.1 to 11 mg/kg BW/day, fed to rats reduced gut microbiota, increased the pH level in the intestines, contributed to increases in body weight, and increased levels of P-glycoprotein (P-gp).
These effects have not been reported in humans.
Upon prolonged heating during storage at elevated temperatures (38 °C, 100 °F), sucralose may break down, releasing carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and minor amounts of hydrogen chloride.
Though sucralose contains no calories, products that contain fillers such as dextrose and/or maltodextrin add about 2–4 calories per teaspoon or individual packet, depending on the product.
There is no evidence of an effect of sucralose on long-term weight loss or body mass index, with cohort studies showing a minor effect on weight gain and heart disease risks.