As the name implies, sweeteners are ingredients that add sweetness to foods.
Sweeteners are ingredients in soft drinks, desserts, candies and pastries.
They are often added to cereals, pasta sauces, mixed dishes, soups and a variety of other foods. Nutritive sweeteners include sugars and sugar alcohols . In moderation, they are considered safe for consumption during pregnancy and lactation provided they are not contributing to excess weight gain. Nonnutritive sweeteners do not add calories to the diet and include saccharin, acesulfame K, aspartame, and cyclamate. Research on the effect of normal daily intakes of nonnutritive sweeteners on the health and development of offspring are limited.