What is Neotame?
Neotame has been developed as a sweetener with a high degree of sweetness and is obtained by N-alkylating aspartame, an existing sweetener. It is 7,000 to 13,000 times and about 30 to 60 times sweeter than sugar and aspartame respectively.
Compared with other sweeteners, neotame is rarely detected in food, indicating that it is not widely used in the food industry. The reasons may be as follows:
1. Neotame is a new product that has been used in my country since 2003. Compared with other traditional sweeteners, it takes a certain amount of time to be promoted and accepted;
2. Neotame is a patent of the American Nut Company. The monopoly production before the end of 2013 resulted in a high price of neotame, and the cost-effectiveness advantage was not obvious. After the expiration of the U.S. patent, many manufacturers have not yet had time to adjust the formula;
3. Neotame has the characteristic of delayed sweetness, but it can be improved by compounding with other sweeteners;
4. Its sweetness is too high, and the limit allowed in food is low. It is inconvenient to weigh a small amount when used alone, and it is difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises to control the dosage.