Neotame: discovery, properties, utility

Neotame (NTM) is a new nonnutritive sweetener. NTM is a derivative of aspartame (APM). NTM has a clean sweet taste and a good flavour profile. It is a high-potency sweetener; it is 6000–10 000 times sweeter than sucrose, and 30–60 times sweeter than APM. NTM is a noncaloric, noncariogenic sweetener. NTM has an extensive shelf life in dry conditions. In aqueous food systems, it presents the same functionalities as APM in acidic medium, but it is significantly more stable in neutral medium. Consequently, NTM should be a useful sweetener in baked goods. NTM is compatible with reducing sugars and aldehyde-based flavouring agents. It has flavour-enhancing properties. Its relative cost is expected to be lower than sucrose or APM at sweetness equivalence. A petition was filed in the USA in December 1998 for its approval as a general use sweetener; other regulatory activities are underway in several countries.