FAQ

Splenda Sweeteners are low calorie sweetening products containing sucralose. Sucralose is a sweetening agent produced from sugar (sucrose) by a patented process. Unlike some other low calorie sweeteners, sucralose provides a great sugar-like taste without the bitter aftertaste, and it is heat stable, so it is suitable for use in cooking and baking. Sucralose is inert in the body (it is not metabolised for energy) and therefore provides no kilojoules or calories. It is available in granular form as well as single serve sachets and tablets.

Sucralose is the generic name for the sweetening ingredient in Splenda Low Calorie. Sucralose is an intense, high quality sweetener that is made through a process that starts with sugar and converts it to a no-calorie, non-carbohydrate sweetener. The result is a very stable sweetener that tastes like sugar, but without its calories. And, like sugar, it stays sweet even when it’s used in cooking and baking.

Sucralose is made through a process that converts sugar to a calorie-free, carbohydrate-free sweetener. This process creates a very stable sweetener that tastes like sugar, but does not break down in your body to provide carbs or calories.

This process selectively replaces three hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sugar molecule with three chlorine atoms. Chlorine is a natural part of salt which is found in many foods, like lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, melons, and peanut butter, and chlorine is added to most public water supplies. Chlorine is also a part of more complex molecules found in such things as lentils, peas and potatoes. It is a part of daily life. In the case of sucralose, its addition converts sucrose to sucralose, which is essentially inert. The result is an exceptionally stable sweetener that tastes like sugar, but without sugar’s calories. Sucralose isn’t broken down for energy, and is not recognized by the body as a carbohydrate.

Splenda has no known side effects. Sucralose (the sweetener in Splenda ) has been the subject of extensive safety testing, with more than 20 years of research and over 110 scientific studies.^1-3 Its safety is well documented and Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ), along with regulatory, health, and food safety authorities from around the world, have confirmed that it is safe.^1-5 There are no warning labels on the products to exclude anyone from enjoying Splenda.

1. Grotz VL, Munro IC. An overview of the safety of sucralose. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2009;55(1):1-5.
2. Food Standards Australia New Zealand website, available at www.foodstandards.gov.au (accessed 10 November 2009)
3. FDA approves new high-intensity sweetener sucralose [FDA talk paper]. Published April 1, 1998. Accessed July 15, 2010.
4. Food additives permitted for direct addition to food for human consumption; sucralose. Fed. Regist. 1998:63(65):16417-16433.
5. Food additives permitted for direct addition to food for human consumption; sucralose. Fed. Regist. 1999:64(155):43908-43909.

Sucralose is so intensely sweet (about 600 times sweeter than sugar) that replacing one teaspoon of sugar would require only one six-hundredth of a teaspoon of sucralose. You can imagine how difficult it would be to measure this amount of sucralose for a cup of tea or coffee. So to give it necessary bulk, maltodextrin is added to Splenda Granular, maltodextrin plus dextrose to Splenda Sachets, and lactose to Splenda Tablets. These added ingredients are commonly used in foods and other low calorie sweeteners. They add minimal calories and carbohydrates to each serving of Splenda. Maltodextrin is made from cornstarch and contains no wheat products.

Splenda Sweeteners can be used in place of sugar in virtually all types of foods resulting in lower sugar intake. For the person with restricted sugar intake, this means that foods typically avoided because of high sugar content may now be prepared with Splenda Sweeteners and enjoyed.

Splenda Sweeteners can even be used to replace sugar in baking and cooking without losing its great sugar-like taste, and Splenda Sweeteners do not have the bitter aftertaste commonly associated with some other low calorie sweeteners.

Because of its excellent heat stability, Splenda Sweeteners (unlike some other low calorie sweeteners) can be added to recipes prior to baking, stewing or boiling, just like sugar. Splenda Sweeteners retain their sweetness in cooking and baking at high temperatures.

Similarly, beverages sweetened with Splenda retain their sweet sugar-like taste virtually indefinitely, even in hot weather.

The ADI represents an intake level that if maintained over a person’s lifetime would be considered safe. The ADI set for sucralose by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives, and accepted by Food Standards Australia New Zealand, is 15 mg/kg of body weight.

• Splenda Granular: One teaspoon of Splenda Granular has the equivalent sweetness to one teaspoon of sugar. Each teaspoon of Splenda granular has 2 calories or 8 kJ. Splenda Granular has 88% less calories than sugar. There are no calories in sucralose. The calories in Splenda Granular come from the small amount of maltodextrin (a starch like ingredient) in this easy-to-use and convenient product.
• Splenda Tablets: One Splenda Tablet has the equivalent sweetness to one teaspoon of sugar. Each Splenda tablet has 0.2 calories or 0.8 kJ. Each Splenda Tablet has 98% less calories than one teaspoon of sugar. There are no calories in sucralose. The calories in each Splenda Tablet come from the small amount of lactose which is added to give each tablet necessary bulk. Splenda Tablets are small and especially easy-to-use in tea and coffee.
• Splenda Sachets: One Splenda Sachet has the equivalent sweetness to two teaspoons of sugar. Each one has 4 calories or 15 kJ, which is 88% less calories than sugar. There are no calories in Sucralose, the calories in Splenda Sachets come from the small amount of maltodextrin and dextrose in this easy- to- use and convenient product.

Splenda Low Calorie Sweetener and Weight Information

1 Splenda Sachet = 15 kilojoules/4 Calories
1 Splenda  Tablet = 0.8 kilojoules/0.2 Calories

Depending on other ingredients present, significant reductions in sugar content and calories can be obtained by replacing sugar with Splenda Sweeteners in foods and beverages made at home.

Each Splenda Tablet has a sweetness equivalent to one teaspoon or 4.4g of sugar. If you use Splenda Sweetener to sweeten your two cups of tea or coffee per day instead of sugar, you could save over 17,000 calories per year*.

*Based on approximately 2 cups of tea or coffee a day each sweetened with 1.5 teaspoons of sugar.

Splenda Sweeteners are suitable for people with diabetes. Clinical studies have shown that Splenda does not affect blood glucose levels, insulin, or HbA1c.^1-3 Like other low-calorie sweeteners, the granulated and sachet products contain small amounts of carbohydrate to provide needed volume and texture.

1. Grotz VL, Henry RR, McGill JB, et al. Lack of effect of sucralose on glucose homeostasis in subjects with type 2 diabetes. J Am Diet Asoc. 2003;103(12):1607-1612.
2. Mezitis NHE, Maggio CA, Koch P, Quddoos A, Allison DB, Pi-Sunyer FX. Glycemic effect of a single high oral dose of the novel sweetener sucralose in patients with diabetes. Diabetes Care. 1996;19(9):1004-1005.
3. Grotz VL, Munro IC. An overview of the safety of sucralose. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2009;55(1):1-5.

The amount of lactose consumed in a cup of tea or coffee sweetened with Splenda Tablets is quite small: there would be 20 to 60 times more lactose from the milk added to the cup of tea or coffee (depending on the amount of milk) than in the Splenda Tablets.

Visit the recipe tab on this site.

Splenda is referred to in the ingredients list as number 955.

Sucralose can be safely used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Studies specifically examining the potential effects of sucralose on embryo-fetal development showed no birth defects or any other effect that would compromise normal development.

While women typically have higher nutritional needs during pregnancy and breastfeeding, sucralose may help prevent excessive calorie intake during these times. Excessive weight gain during pregnancy is associated with health risks. Replacing sugar with sucralose can be one way to help manage calorie intake during this important time.