A sugar substitute is a food additive that duplicates the effect
of sugar in taste, usually with less food energy. Some sugar
substitutes are natural and some are synthetic. Those that are
not natural are, in general, called artificial sweeteners. An
important class of sugar substitutes are known as high-intensity
sweeteners. These are compounds with many times the sweetness of
sucrose, common table sugar. As a result, much less sweetener is
required and energy contribution is often negligible. The
sensation of sweetness caused by these compounds (the "sweetness
profile") is sometimes notably different from sucrose, so they
are often used in complex mixtures that achieve the most natural
sweet sensation. If the sucrose (or other sugar) that is
replaced has contributed to the texture of the product, then a
bulking agent is often also needed. This may be seen in soft
drinks that are labeled as "diet" or "light" and contain
artificial sweeteners and often have notably different
mouthfeel, or in table sugar repla