An overview of sugar substitutes: sweeteners and sugar replacements

Sugar substitutes at a glance: all sweeteners and sugar substitutes authorised in the EU, listed by E number, sweetness level and EFSA daily intake limit.

Anyone looking for a sugar substitute will come across sweeteners. In the EU, 14 sweeteners and 8 sugar substitutes are authorised – ranging from aspartame and sucralose to erythritol and xylitol. All of these are food additives with E numbers, which require authorisation and may only be used in specific foods and in specific quantities. Here you’ll find all these substances listed in two tables, the current assessments by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and how to recognise sweeteners on the label.

Sweetener or sugar substitute: the difference

Sweeteners contain virtually no calories and are up to around 37,000 times sweeter than table sugar. Many were authorised in the EU as early as between 1960 and 1990. Because individual sweeteners do not always taste quite right on their own, they are often combined.
Sugar substitutes, also known as sugar alcohols, contain around 2.4 kilocalories per gramme, which is just over half the energy content of sugar; erythritol contains no calories. In large quantities, they can have a laxative effect.
According to the Consumer Advice Centre, neither causes tooth decay. Neither sweeteners nor sugar substitutes are permitted in organic food.

Sweetness intensity indicates how sweet a substance tastes compared to table sugar. According to the Hamburg Consumer Advice Centre, aspartame, which has a sweetness intensity of 200, requires just 0.05 g to taste as sweet as 10 g of sugar.

The 14 authorised sweeteners

E number	Name	Sweetness (× sugar)	ADI (mg per kg body weight)
E 950	Acesulfame K	200	15 – EFSA 2025, previously 9
E 951	Aspartame	200	40 – confirmed by EFSA and the WHO
E 952	Cyclamate	30–50	7
E 954	Saccharin	500	9 – EFSA 2024, previously 5
E 955	Sucralose	500–600	15 – EFSA 2026: no change
E 957	Thaumatin	2,000–3,000	not specified
E 959	Neohesperidin DC	400–600	5
E 960a	Steviol glycosides from stevia	200–450	4 (as steviol)
E 960b	Steviol glycosides produced by fermentation	–	–
E 960c	Enzymatically produced steviol glycosides	200–450	4 (as steviol)
E 960d	Glycosylated steviol glycosides	–	4 (as steviol)
E 961	Neotam	7,000–13,000	10 – EFSA 2025, previously 2
E 962	Aspartame-acesulfame salt	350	The ADI values for aspartame and acesulfame K are
E 969	Advantam	up to 37,000	5

The ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake) is the amount that a person can consume daily throughout their lifetime without any adverse health effects being expected. The EFSA has recently re-evaluated several sweeteners: it raised the ADI for acesulfame K, saccharin and neotame, whilst leaving it unchanged for sucralose.

The 8 sugar substitutes

E number	Name	Distinctive feature
E 420	Sorbitol, sorbitol syrup	can have a laxative effect even in small quantities in sensitive individuals
E 421	Mannit	retains its flavour even after heating
E 953	Isomalt	about half as sweet as sugar
E 964	Polyglycitol syrup	–
E 965	Maltitol	–
E 966	Lactit	Depending on the manufacturing process, the product may contain animal-derived ingredients
E 967	Xylitol (birch sugar)	about as sweet as sugar
E 968	Erythritol	around 70 per cent of the sweetness of sugar, provides no energy; ADI 0.5 g per kg of body weight (EFSA 2023)

There are generally no maximum limits for sugar substitutes in individual foodstuffs; they may be used ‘quantum satis’, i.e. as much as necessary. According to the Hamburg Consumer Advice Centre, people with fructose intolerance should avoid sorbitol, mannitol, isomalt, maltitol, lactitol and xylitol.

Erythritol: the EFSA’s findings in 2023

In its re-evaluation of 20 December 2023, the EFSA established an ADI of 0.5 g per kilogram of body weight per day for erythritol (E 968) – as a precaution against its laxative effect – and, based on current data, sees no causal link between the consumption of foods containing erythritol and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

You can read about how erythritol is made and what must be stated on the label in the article ‘Erythritol’.

Aspartame: could it be carcinogenic?

In 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified aspartame as ‘possibly carcinogenic’ (Group 2B), based on limited evidence. This classification describes the strength of the evidence, not the level of risk associated with a specific amount. The WHO and FAO expert panel (JECFA) saw no reason to change the ADI of 40 mg per kg of body weight. An adult weighing 70 kg would have to drink more than 9 to 14 cans of a drink containing 200 to 300 mg of aspartame per day to exceed this limit.

In its assessment of the aspartame-acesulfame salt in September 2026, the EFSA also concluded that the available data do not support a causal link between current aspartame intake and cancer. People with phenylketonuria (PKU) must not consume aspartame because it contains phenylalanine.

Stevia: naturally sweet?

The stevia plant itself is not permitted as a foodstuff in the EU, with the exception of tea blends. Steviol glycosides are authorised as sweetener E 960. They are extracted from the leaves via a multi-stage chemical process. Their sweetness develops slowly and has a liquorice-like, bitter aftertaste, which is why they are often combined with other sweeteners or sugar. The EFSA confirmed an ADI of 4 mg per kg of body weight in 2024.

Sweeteners and weight loss: the WHO recommendation

Since 2023, the World Health Organisation has advised against using sweeteners for weight control. According to a systematic review, they offer no long-term benefit in terms of reducing body fat. The recommendation also applies to stevia, but not to sugar alcohols such as erythritol – nor to people with existing diabetes. The WHO classifies this as a conditional recommendation. Its advice is to reduce the overall amount of sweetness in one’s diet, ideally from an early age.

How to spot sweeteners on the label

The list of ingredients includes the category ‘sweetener’ together with the name or E number.
The food’s name is accompanied by the statement ‘contains sweetener(s)’.
If a product contains aspartame, it must state ‘Contains aspartame (a source of phenylalanine)’ or ‘Contains a source of phenylalanine’.
If the product contains more than 10 per cent added sugar substitutes, the label must carry the statement ‘May have a laxative effect if consumed in excess’.

And what about ACQUA REAPER?

None of our six varieties contain any sweeteners – neither artificial sweeteners nor sugar substitutes. The flavoured varieties contain 0 g of sugar per 100 ml. The flavour comes from natural flavourings and citric acid. You can find out why we avoid both on our page ‘Sugar-free without sweeteners’. The article ‘Sugar or sweeteners?’ explores whether sugar or sweeteners are the better choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a sugar substitute?

This usually refers to sweeteners: authorised food additives with an E number. The EU distinguishes between 14 sweeteners and 8 sugar substitutes.

How much sweetener is safe to consume each day?

That depends on the substance. For example, the EFSA specifies 40 mg of aspartame, 15 mg of sucralose or acesulfame K, and 4 mg of steviol per kilogram of body weight.

What is the EFSA’s assessment of erythritol?

Since 2023, an ADI of 0.5 g per kg of body weight has been in force, due to its laxative effect. As things stand, the EFSA considers that there is no evidence of a causal link with cardiovascular diseases.

Is aspartame carcinogenic?

In 2023, the IARC classified aspartame as ‘possibly carcinogenic’ (Group 2B) on the basis of limited evidence; the ADI of 40 mg per kg remained unchanged. The EFSA considers that there is no evidence of a causal link between current intake and cancer.

Which sweetener should you avoid?

There is no general list. Aspartame is off-limits for people with phenylketonuria. For those with fructose intolerance, the Hamburg Consumer Advice Centre advises avoiding several sugar substitutes, such as sorbitol or xylitol.

Is stevia a natural sweetener?

It is not the leaves that are authorised, but steviol glycosides (E 960), which are extracted using a multi-stage chemical process.

View all varieties

Sources

Re-evaluation of erythritol (E 968) as a food additive | EFSA (efsa.europa.eu, 20 December 2023), accessed on 28 October 2026. efsa.europa.eu
ACQUA REAPER: Product labels, 07–08/26.
Hamburg Consumer Advice Centre: Sweeteners – Sweetness without regret?, as at 30 July 2026. vzhh.de
Consumer Advice Centre: Sweeteners: What are sweeteners and sugar substitutes?, as at 26 June 25. verbraucherzentrale.de
Consumer Advice Centre: Stevia – a sugar-free sweetener with a questionable ‘natural’ image, as at 26 August 25. verbraucherzentrale.de
EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF): Re-evaluation of erythritol (E 968) as a food additive, EFSA Journal 2023, 20 December 2023. doi.org
EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF): Re-evaluation of acesulfame K (E 950) as a food additive, EFSA Journal 2025, 30 April 2025. doi.org
EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF): Re-evaluation of saccharin and its sodium, potassium and calcium salts (E 954) as food additives, EFSA Journal 2024, 15 November 2024. doi.org
EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF): Re-evaluation of neotame (E 961) as a food additive, EFSA Journal 2025, 4 July 2025. doi.org
EFSA: Re-evaluation of sucralose (E 955) as a food additive, EFSA Journal 2026, published 17 February 2026. doi.org
EFSA (Plain Language Summary; EFSA Journal doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2026.10259): Re-evaluation of the salt of aspartame-acesulfame (E 962) as a food additive, 10 September 2026. efsa.europa.eu
EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF): Scientific opinion on the extension of the authorisation for the use of the food additive steviol glycosides (E 960a–d) and the modification of the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for steviol, EFSA Journal 2024, 4 November 2024. efsa.europa.eu
World Health Organisation (WHO), IARC, JECFA: Results of the hazard and risk assessment of aspartame published, 14 July 2023. who.int
World Health Organisation (WHO): WHO advises against the use of non-sugar sweeteners for weight control in newly published guidance, 15 May 2023. who.int

All posts in ‘Sugar-free without sweeteners’

From the same section

Sugar or stevia? What expert bodies say about sugar and sweetenersSugar, stevia or sweetener? What the WHO, EFSA, DGE and the Consumer Advice Centre say – with a comparison table, limit values and a third option…Read more Are sweeteners carcinogenic? Fact-checkingAre sweeteners carcinogenic? What’s behind the headlines about aspartame, erythritol and sucralose – with insights from the WHO, EFSA and DKFZ…Read more Is Coke Zero unhealthy? An explanation of the ingredients in zero-calorie drinksIs Coke Zero unhealthy? What ingredients are in ‘zero’ drinks, and what do the WHO, the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the Consumer Advice Centre have to say about them…Read more

Receipts instead of stars

The shop is new. The can isn’t.

0g
All figures are per variety
Live
Take part in martial arts, festivals and trade fairs
Most recently: Trading Card World in Braunschweig, 17 October 2026.
All dates
Press
Featured on RTL+ and rbb; covered in the trade press
Most recently: Lebensmittel Zeitung (1 October 2026), about drinks (29 September 2026).
All publications

Join us at