Ajinomoto’s New Zero-Calorie Sweetener, Advantame, Gets Approved in Mexico

Advantame is now approved as a sweetener in the USA, Mexico, Japan, European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Turkey. This latest approval brings the number of countries where advantame may be marketed to 35. 

Speaking with FoodIngredientsFirst, Ihab Bishay, Senior Director, Ajinomoto North America Inc, said: “With the Mexican sugar tax in effect companies are reformulating their products to reduce cost and sugar in order to offset the increased cost.  This can be accomplished with advantame without sacrificing taste or quality.”

 

“Advantame is very well suited to be blended with other sweeteners, such as sugar or HFCS to reduce added sugars, calories and cost.  It can also be blended with other low calorie sweetener to improve their taste profile..  This can be done in several products such as beverages, dairy products, confections, and many other areas,” says Bishay.

 

He also added: “So far advantame has had early success in chewing gum, chocolate milk, beverages, sweet snacks, low calorie sports drinks and nutrition shakes.”

 

Unique Benefits 
Advantame blends well with caloric and non-caloric sweeteners, providing food and beverage companies with an opportunity to reduce calories and manage their sweetness costs.   

 

Ajinomoto also is the leading supplier of aspartame, the world’s most successful low-calorie sweetener, which is made from two amino acids. Aspartame has been approved in over 135 countries and is used in thousands of products.  This tooth and diabetic-friendly sweetener has helped companies develop strong brands due to its clean, sugar-like taste which consumers love.  

 

With governments worldwide encouraging the public to reduce their sugar intake, aspartame and advantame offer excellent sweetening solutions in food formulation. “In the USA, where new added sugars labeling regulations are taking effect, these sweeteners play a significant role in helping food manufacturers deliver good tasting products with less added sugar and calories,” said Brendan Naulty, Senior Vice President, Ajinomoto North America Inc. “We are pleased that Mexico now has advantame as an option to do the same.”