Alitame: Safety, Function, and Global Standards (INS 956)
Answer Snapshot
- What it is: A dipeptide-based high-intensity sweetener developed as a clean-tasting alternative to older synthetic sweeteners.
- Safety consensus: JECFA supports use within an ADI of 0-1 mg/kg body weight/day, but market approvals differ across regions.
- Common uses: Bakery products, dairy foods, confectionery, and some oral care applications where approved.
- Blood sugar impact: It does not meaningfully affect blood glucose and is considered suitable for low-sugar formulations.
- Who should be careful: Regulatory availability differs by country, and it performs poorly in highly acidic long-shelf-life systems.
- Label names / aliases: Alitame, INS 956, and the historical brand name Aclame.
Quick Facts
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ingredient name | Alitame |
| INS code | 956 |
| Functional class | High-intensity sweetener |
| Sweetness potency | About 2,000 times sweeter than sucrose |
| Caloric value | Negligible in practical use |
| ADI | 0-1 mg/kg body weight/day |
| Stability | Good in neutral systems; limited stability in strongly acidic products |
| Blood sugar impact | No meaningful glycemic effect |
| Typical label names | Alitame, INS 956, Aclame |
What It Is
Alitame is a peptide-based sweetener built from L-aspartic acid and D-alanine amide. It was developed to provide a very high sweetness intensity with a taste profile that many formulators consider cleaner and more sugar-like than several older high-intensity sweeteners.
Its chemistry differs from aspartame in ways that matter both for taste and for formulation behavior. In particular, alitame does not contain phenylalanine, which is one of its notable distinctions in consumer communication.
Safety
JECFA established an ADI of 0-1 mg/kg body weight/day and did not identify the toxicological harms that would prevent approved use at regulated levels. However, actual market approval is more fragmented than for many mainstream sweeteners.
That regulatory fragmentation matters in practice. Alitame is approved in some regions but not broadly commercialized across all major markets, so manufacturers and consumers must check country-specific rules rather than assume global availability.
Metabolism and Blood Sugar
Alitame is used at very low levels, so its practical caloric contribution in food is negligible. It does not act like a digestible sugar and does not meaningfully raise blood glucose or insulin.
A related point is that it does not pose the same PKU communication issue as aspartame because it does not contain phenylalanine. That can make it attractive in theory for formulations where that distinction matters.
Stability
Alitame performs well in neutral or mildly acidic systems and has better heat performance than aspartame in many applications. It can tolerate selected baking and thermal processes, which is one reason it has been discussed for bakery and dairy use.
Its main technical weakness is strong acidity over time. In low-pH beverages, especially long-shelf-life carbonated drinks, it can lose sweetness and develop formulation problems, which limits where it fits best.
Common Uses
Where approved, alitame can be used in bakery products, yogurts, ice cream, confectionery, tabletop sweeteners, and some oral care products. The common thread is applications that benefit from a clean taste but do not demand extreme acid stability.
Its use in oral care also reflects the fact that it is non-cariogenic and effective at very low levels.
Compare and Alternatives
Compared with aspartame, alitame is much more potent and avoids the phenylalanine issue. Compared with sucralose, it is less acid-stable. Compared with acesulfame potassium, it is often described as cleaner in taste but less broadly established in global markets.
Its main strengths are taste quality and potency. Its main limitations are regulatory inconsistency and weakness in highly acidic shelf-stable systems.
Official References
- FAO/WHO GSFA Database: View official details for Alitame (INS 956)
- Codex Alimentarius: Refer to the General Standard for Food Additives (CODEX STAN 192-1995) for category-specific maximum levels.
The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Regulations regarding alitame vary significantly by country, so always confirm local approval status before relying on it in foods.