Food additive · Sweetener
Neotame
- E-number
- E961
A high-intensity sweetener chemically related to aspartame.
- Food additive
- Non-nutritive sweetener
- Ultra-processing marker
- Expert review pending
Concern level
A minor or very limited concern, such as being an ultra-processing marker only. The concern level sets how many points neotame costs on a product’s receipt.
What the evidence says
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Heart or metabolic health (emerging)Emerging evidence
WHO (2023) recommends against using non-sugar sweeteners to control body weight (conditional recommendation); US dietary guidelines advise limiting them. [1][2]
Evidence tiers say how sure the evidence is, separately from how much it matters. About evidence tiers.
Popular products that list neotame
10 of the 17,000 most-scanned products in the US with a GoodSwap page list neotame.
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Tangy Original Sunny D Score 10 out of 100 Bad -
Ice breaker ice cubes peppermint Ice Breakers Score 26 out of 100 Poor -
Log Cabin Sugar Free Syrup Log Cabin · 24 fl oz Score 21 out of 100 Poor -
Sugar Free Syrup Mrs. Butterworth's · 24 fl oz (1 PT 8 oz) 710 mL Score 21 out of 100 Poor -
Orange Flavored Citrus Punch Sunny D · 64 fl oz/2 Quart/1.89 L Score 10 out of 100 Bad -
Ice breakers ice cube mint crystal Ice Breakers Score 30 out of 100 Poor -
Ice Breakers Ice Cubes Arctic Grape Sugar Free Gum Ice Breakers Score 23 out of 100 Poor -
ICE BREAKERS ICE CUBES Spearmint Sugar Free Gum Ice Breakers Score 23 out of 100 Poor -
Sunny D Tangy Original Sunny D · 8 oz Score 10 out of 100 Bad -
Breath mints Mentos Score 33 out of 100 Poor
Diets and allergens
- Vegan
- Yes
- Vegetarian
- Yes
- Gluten-free
- Yes
For the ingredient in general. Always check the package: a product’s own labels win.
Names GoodSwap recognizes on labels (2)
- e961
- neotame
Sources
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WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control in newly released guideline
“The recommendation is based on the findings of a systematic review of the available evidence which suggests that use of NSS does not confer any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children.”
who.int
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Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
“Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”
cdn.realfood.gov