In general, sweeteners are classified into four main groups:

1 – Natural sweeteners that have a long history of use, including barley malt, brown rice syrup, date sugar, fructose, fruit syrup concentrate, honey, and maple sugar.

2 – Refined sweeteners, including: white sugar, raw sugar, brown sugar, confectioner’s (powdered) sugar, corn syrup, and dextrose.

3 – Sweeteners and bulking agents, most of which belong to the sugar alcohol family, including (isomalt, isomaltulose, trehalulose, sorbitol, xylitol, etc.).

4 – Intense sweeteners, also called non-caloric and non-nutritive sweeteners, which are further divided into industrial and natural categories. The most important industrial intense sweeteners include acesulfame potassium, sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, alitame, and cyclamate.