Which products contain artificial sweeteners? A Comprehensive Guide

December 8, 2025 •

3 min read

Over the past five years, the use of low- and zero-calorie sugar substitutes in packaged foods has surged significantly, extending far beyond just diet soft drinks and into many unexpected products. Knowing which items contain these additives is crucial for managing your dietary intake and understanding what you consume.

Quick Summary

This guide reveals common and surprising food and beverage products containing artificial sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium, emphasizing the importance of reading labels.

Key Points

Prevalence: Artificial sweeteners are now found in a wide variety of processed foods and drinks, not just diet products.
Common Types: Key artificial sweeteners to recognize include aspartame (Equal), sucralose (Splenda), and acesulfame potassium (Sunett).
Reading Labels: It is essential to read ingredient labels carefully, as sweeteners are often listed by chemical name or E-number.
Unexpected Sources: Be aware that sweeteners can appear in surprising places, such as baked goods, canned fruit, yogurt, and some condiments.
Heat-Stability: Some sweeteners like sucralose and acesulfame potassium are heat-stable and used in baked goods, while others like aspartame are not.
Hidden Blends: Products often contain a blend of multiple sweeteners, sometimes including sugar, to achieve a specific taste and mask aftertastes.

Understanding the Most Common Artificial Sweeteners

To identify which products contain artificial sweeteners, it is essential to first recognize the key culprits. The most common artificial and high-intensity non-nutritive sweeteners found in processed foods include aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium, often used alone or in combination.

Aspartame: Marketed under brands like Equal and NutraSweet, this sweetener is used in many diet sodas, sugar-free gums, and gelatin desserts. It is not heat-stable, so it's not used in baked goods.
Sucralose: Best known by the brand name Splenda, sucralose is heat-stable and can be found in baked goods, canned fruits, and many low-calorie beverages.
Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K): Sold under Sweet One or Sunett, Ace-K is heat-stable and often blended with other sweeteners to mask its bitter aftertaste. You can find it in diet drinks, baked goods, and dairy products.
Saccharin: This older sweetener, found in Sweet'N Low, is used in some sodas, jams, and chewing gum.
Neotame: Used as a general-purpose sweetener and flavor enhancer, it appears in various processed products like baked goods and soft drinks.

Products Containing Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are no longer limited to diet products. They are now ubiquitous in a wide range of packaged foods, often surprisingly. Reading ingredient labels is the most reliable method to identify them.

Beverages

Diet and zero-sugar drinks are the most obvious source, but the list extends much further.

Diet Sodas: Diet Coke (aspartame), Diet Pepsi (aspartame, sucralose), Coke Zero (aspartame, acesulfame K).
Drink Mixes: Powdered beverage mixes like Crystal Light and Kool-Aid packets often contain aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium.
Flavored Water & Sports Drinks: Brands like Propel and Gatorade Zero use sucralose and acesulfame potassium.
Reduced-Sugar Juices: Juices marketed as 'light' or 'reduced calorie' may contain sucralose, acesulfame K, or other sweeteners.

Dairy and Refrigerated Products

Don't assume all dairy is sweetener-free, especially low-fat or flavored varieties.

Light Yogurt: Many light and low-fat yogurts, including those from Dannon Light & Fit and Yoplait Light, use sucralose and acesulfame potassium.
Cottage Cheese: Flavored, low-fat cottage cheese can be sweetened with aspartame.
Frozen Desserts: No-sugar-added frozen desserts, like fudgesicles and ice cream, often contain sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners like aspartame and acesulfame potassium.

Packaged Snacks and Baked Goods

Sweeteners are often used to reduce calorie counts in packaged baked goods and cereals.

Breakfast Cereals: Brands like Fiber One and some Special K Zero Sugar products use sucralose.
Granola & Protein Bars: Some protein and snack bars contain sucralose and sugar alcohols like maltitol.
Chewing Gum & Mints: Almost all sugar-free gum contains artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, acesulfame potassium, or sucralose.
Baked Goods: Since sweeteners like sucralose and Ace-K are heat-stable, they are common in sugar-free cookies, cakes, and other baked items.

Condiments and Other Foods

Sweeteners can even be found in savory items.

Sugar-Free Syrups: Pancake and coffee syrups are commonly made with artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium.
Reduced-Sugar Condiments: Ketchup and salad dressings often contain sucralose to lower the sugar content.
Canned Fruits: Many 'no sugar added' or 'lite' canned fruits use sucralose to maintain sweetness.
Savory Meals: Surprisingly, some marinated meats and savory baked beans can contain sucralose or aspartame.

Comparison of Common Artificial Sweeteners


Sweetener	Brand Names	Relative Sweetness (vs. Sugar)	Heat-Stable?	Common Product Examples
Aspartame	Equal, NutraSweet	200x	No	Diet soda, sugar-free gum, gelatin
Sucralose	Splenda	600x	Yes	Diet soda, baked goods, canned fruit
Acesulfame Potassium	Sweet One, Sunett	200x	Yes	Diet soda, frozen desserts, yogurt
Saccharin	Sweet'N Low	200-700x	Yes	Diet beverages, canned foods, tabletop sweeteners
Neotame	Newtame	7,000-13,000x	Yes	Soft drinks, baked goods, chewing gum

Reading Labels to Identify Sweeteners

Spotting these additives requires diligence, especially when manufacturers use multiple types or less common names. For example, sucralose may be listed as E955, and Acesulfame Potassium as E950. Even products labeled 'sugar-free' or 'no sugar added' are not exempt and may contain these substitutes. Always check the ingredient list, which typically lists ingredients in order of prevalence, with the highest concentration appearing first.

Conclusion

Artificial sweeteners are prevalent in a vast array of processed foods and beverages, from obvious diet drinks to hidden sources like condiments and bread. Being a conscious consumer means actively reading and understanding food labels, looking for common sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium. By staying informed, you can better manage your intake of these ingredients. For more detailed information on sweeteners, consult reliable sources like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common products containing aspartame, often sold as Equal or NutraSweet, include diet sodas, sugar-free gum, diet drink mixes like Crystal Light, and sugar-free gelatin desserts.

Sucralose, known as Splenda, is heat-stable and can be found in baked goods, canned fruits, frozen dairy desserts, diet beverages, and low-sugar condiments like ketchup and salad dressings.

Not all, but many do. It is important to read the ingredient list, as some products might use sugar alcohols or plant-based sweeteners like stevia instead, while others still include artificial varieties.

Manufacturers may add artificial sweeteners to savory products, such as marinated meats or baked beans, to balance flavors and reduce overall sugar and calorie content.

Most health authorities consider artificial sweeteners safe for children within acceptable daily intake levels. However, some groups recommend caution due to potential health effects, particularly in large amounts. It is best to consult a healthcare professional with specific concerns.

Yes, it is very possible. Sweeteners are often in unexpected products like bread, breakfast cereals, yogurts, and some condiments. The best way to avoid them is to develop a habit of reading nutrition labels.

On food labels, you might see the chemical names for sweeteners, such as acesulfame K (for acesulfame potassium), saccharin, or neotame, often alongside or instead of brand names.