Sweetener

Sweetener is one of the markers Open Food Facts uses to classify a food as ultra-processed (NOVA group 4).

What it is and why it counts

Sweeteners give sweetness with few or no calories, many at hundreds of times the strength of sugar.

Cosmetic additives

NOVA calls these additives "cosmetic": they change how a product looks, feels or tastes rather than keeping it safe to eat. Their presence is one of the two defining signs of an ultra-processed food.

Function

Sweetener: Sweeteners are substances used to impart a sweet taste to foods or in table-top sweeteners.

Functional class definitions from the EU food additives regulation, via Open Food Facts.

More about sweetener on Wikidata

Where it turns up

Sweetener appears in 1,341 of the 40,000 products on this site (3%).

Protein bars 77 of 426 products
Energy drinks 47 of 278 products
Protein powders 46 of 149 products
Sodas 43 of 612 products
Diet cola soft drink 36 of 67 products
Energy drink without sugar and with artificial sweeteners 33 of 60 products

Products containing sweetener

Showing the 60 most popular of 1,341.

How the NOVA classification works