Title: Alternative Sweeteners

32 Auerbach et al.
Figure 1 Alitame: structure and development.
series of l-aspartyl-d-alanine amides those structural features that were found to
be most conducive to high sweetness potency include small to moderate ring
size, presence of small-chain branching α to the amine-bearing carbon, and the
introduction of the sulfur atom into the carbocyclic ring.
III. ORGANOLEPTIC PROPERTIES
Alitame is a crystalline, odorless, nonhygroscopic powder. Its sweetness potency,
determined by comparison of the sweetness intensity of alitame solutions with
concentrations in the range of 50 µg/ml to a 10% solution of sucrose, is approximately
2000 times that of sucrose. Compared with threshold concentrations of
sucrose (typically 2–3%), the potency of alitame increases to about 2900 times
that of sucrose. This phenomenon is typical of high-potency sweeteners. Use of
higher concentrations of alitame allows preparation of solutions with a sweetness
intensity equivalent to sucrose solutions of 40% or greater.
The sweetness of alitame is of a high quality, sucroselike, without accompanying
bitter or metallic notes often typical of high-potency sweeteners. The
sweetness of alitame develops rapidly in the mouth and lingers slightly, in a
manner similar to that of aspartame.
Alitame has been found to exhibit synergy when combined with both acesulfame-K
and cyclamate. High-quality blends may be obtained with these and
other sweeteners, including saccharin.