Aspartame is an artificial sweetener sold in the market. It consists of amino acids and provides calories like other amino acids. Yet, it is used as a low-calorie sweetening agent in food items. What is the basis of this use?
- A.Aspartame is as sweet as table sugar, but unlike table sugar, it is not readily oxidized in human body due to the lack of requisite enzymes.
- B.When aspartame is used in food processing, the sweet taste remains, but it becomes resistant to oxidation.
- C.Aspartame is as sweet as sugar, but after ingestion into the body, it is converted into metabolites that yield no calories.
- D.Aspartame is several times sweeter than table sugar, hence food items made with small quantities of aspartame yield fewer calories on oxidation
▶ Answer & Explanation
Correct answer: D. Aspartame is several times sweeter than table sugar, hence food items made with small quantities of aspartame yield fewer calories on oxidation
Aspartame is a dipeptide methyl ester synthesized from two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. It is approximately 200 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). Because it is so intensely sweet, only very small amounts are needed to achieve the desired sweetness in food products. While it does provide calories, the quantity used is so minimal that the total caloric contribution is significantly less than that of an equivalent amount of sugar.
Source: UPSC gs1 2011