Can you spot the artificial sweetener in these sugar-free foods?

Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol or polyol, which is synthetically extracted from glucose. It contains about one-third fewer calories than table sugar. It is often used in sugar-free candies.

Acesulfame potassium was introduced in 1988. It may also be called acesulfame K or Ace-K. It is about 200 times sweeter than sugar and is often combined with other sweeteners. Brand names include Sunett and Sweet One.

Sucralose, introduced in 1998, is about 600 times sweeter than sugar, has no calories and is sold under the brand name Splenda.

Inulin (chicory root) is a low-calorie sweetener made from a starchy substance found in a wide variety of plants. In a class of dietary fibers known as fructans, inulin is often sourced from the root of the chicory plant, which belongs to the dandelion family. It essentially passes through your body undigested.

Stevia is a natural sugar substitute processed from the leaves of the stevia plant, which is native to South America but exported primarily by China. It was introduced in the United States in 2008 and is 200 to 400 times sweeter than table sugar and has no calories. Brand names include Truvia, SweetLeaf and Splenda Stevia (which is made from stevia leaf extract and erythritol).

Luo han guo monk fruit extract (also called monk fruit extract or swingle fruit) is natural, derived from a small, round fruit native to southern China. Though it has been cultivated in China since the 13th century, the FDA didn’t recognize it as safe to be used in foods in the United States until 2010. It is 100 to 250 times sweeter than sugar but has no calories.

Isomalt was developed in 1957 by a German company. It is often made from table sugar derived from beets. It is a sugar alcohol and often combined with other sweeteners to achieve the desired level of sweetness.

Sucralose, which was also found in the mandarin oranges above, was discovered in 1976 when scientists bonded sucrose (table sugar) with chlorine and a researcher was asked to “test” the compound and misheard it as “taste” it.

This popcorn isn’t advertised as a “reduced-sugar” or “diet” product.

Xylitol, commonly used in chewing gum, was discovered in 1891 in birch trees by a German chemistry professor. A sugar alcohol, it took off during World War II when sugar was being rationed. Xylitol is toxic for dogs because it triggers a dangerous release of insulin from the pancreas.

Apple powder is made from freeze-dried and pulverized apples and has been used to flavor foods and add sweetness in baked goods and sauces for centuries. It is also used as a preservative.

Agave inulin comes from a different source than most inulin, which is most often derived from chicory root. Inulin belongs to a class of fibers known as fructans and is found in the root of some plants as a means of storing energy.

Allulose is relatively new, having been labeled as safe in 2012 by the FDA. At the time, the agency considered it a sugar, but in 2019, the FDA shifted course to treat it as a low-calorie sweetener. That allowed allulose to be excluded from total and added sugars on nutrition labels, which led to more manufacturers adopting it. It’s a simple sugar that occurs naturally in figs, wheat, maple syrup, jackfruit and other foods but that can’t be used by the body. It contains 10 percent of the calories of the same amount of table sugar.

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol synthesized from corn that is commonly used as a food additive and as an ingredient in foods marketed for weight loss and diabetes management. Erythritol has been linked to heightened risk of heart attack, stroke and death, according to a recent study published in Nature Medicine.

Sucralose, also found in the mandarin oranges and kettle corn above, is the most widely used artificial sweetener in the United States and is sold under the brand name Splenda.