Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) is well-known for its distinct flavor and texture as well medicinal nutritional properties. Small good grade fresh shiitake mushrooms are highly perishable have a low commodity value in the Taiwan market. As result, these frequently used raw materials vacuum-fried crisps. However, manufacturers continue to use traditional maltose (MO) syrup with no functional propert...

Organic brown rice syrup (OBRS) is a sweetener frequently used as an alternative to high-fructose corn syrup in organic and health food products. In a study of children’s foods, a team of researchers discovered high levels of arsenic in toddler formula products that contained OBRS. Given evidence that arsenic accumulates in rice at high levels, the researchers suspected OBRS was the source of t...

To assess the effects of 2 high intensity sodium saccharine-based sweeteners on individual feed intake characteristics and performance of group-housed weaned pigs, one hundred ninety-eight 26-d-old weanling pigs were given ad libitum access to 3 dietary treatments containing: no additional sweetener (control), 150 mg of sweetener (Sucram C-150)/kg, or 150 mg of sweetener (Sucram 3D)/kg. At wean...

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used in more than 6,000 diet products, beverages, and pharmaceuticals. In March 2006, EHP published the first compelling experimental evidence for the carcinogenic effects of aspartame at a dose level within range of human daily intake [EHP 114:379–385; Soffritti et al.]. A second animal study by the same research team now indicates that the carcinogenic eff...

BACKGROUND Low-calorie and no-calorie sweeteners (LCSs) have emerged as alternatives to added sugars. Research suggests that consumption among all Americans is increasing, yet it is unknown whether consumption trends differ among population subgroups. OBJECTIVE Our study aimed to assess recent national trends in LCS consumption among children and other demographic subgroups in the United Stat...

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is a small perennial shrub of the Asteraceae (Compositae) family that is native to South America, particularly Brazil and Paraguay, where it is known as "stevia" or "honey leaf" for its powerful sweetness. Several studies have suggested that in addition to their sweetness, steviosides and their related compounds, including rebaudioside A and isosteviol, may offer addit...

Animal models suggest that sucrose activates taste afferents differently than non-caloric sweeteners. Little information exists how artificial sweeteners engage central taste pathways in the human brain. We assessed sucrose and sucralose taste pleasantness across a concentration gradient in 12 healthy control women and applied 10% sucrose and matched sucralose during functional magnet resonance...

BACKGROUND Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have a higher incidence of cardiovascular (CV) events. The ingestion of high-glycemic index (GI) diets, specially sweetened beverage consumption, has been associated with the development of T2DM and CV disease. OBJECTIVE We investigated the effects of the intake of a sweetened beverage, obtained from natural carbohydrates containing pin...

Background & Aim:   Changes in lifestyle, decrease in physical exercise along with incidence of obesity, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases indicate a need for low calorie formulations. The sweetness of Stevia, a natural sweetener, is estimated to be 300 times as much as that of sugar. Extraction of stevia leaves is considered a promoter of calorie balance and a beneficial part of a healt...