Sweetened With Nutritive And Nonnutritive Sweeteners

This ingredient indicates that a food product uses a combination of sweeteners that provide calories (nutritive) and those that do not (nonnutritive). Nutritive sweeteners are typically carbohydrates like sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. Nonnutritive sweeteners, also called high-intensity sweeteners, are often synthetic compounds or naturally derived substances that provide sweetness with few or no calories.

Manufacturers use this combination to achieve a desired sweetness level and taste profile while managing calorie content. This approach is common in products like diet beverages, sugar-free desserts, and reduced-calorie breakfast drinks, allowing for sweetness without the caloric impact of traditional sugars.

Nonnutritive sweeteners are regulated by the FDA as food additives or are Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS). The FDA has approved several nonnutritive sweeteners for use in foods. Regulatory bodies like JECFA and EFSA have evaluated many of these sweeteners. Research on the long-term health effects of nonnutritive sweeteners is ongoing, with some studies suggesting potential impacts on gut microbiota and glucose metabolism, while others show no significant effects at typical consumption levels.