Most people enjoy sweet tastes. Scientists believe that this preference may be evolutionary, helping to ensure that infants are attracted to the sweet taste of their mother's milk.

While sweet flavours have traditionally come from sugars, there are now many other types of sweeteners that increase our enjoyment of foods. High intensity sweeteners (often referred to as low-calorie sweeteners) contribute few or no calories to the diet and have sweetness intensities ranging from 30 to 2,000 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). Some of the more common high intensity sweeteners include acesulfame-K, alitame, aspartame, cyclamate, saccharin, sucralose, and stevioside.

• Acesulfame potassium, also known as acesulfame K, has been used in foods and beverages around the world for 15 years. It is about 300 times sweeter than sucrose and is often used in combination with other low-calorie sweeteners to produce a more sugar-like taste. Over ninety studies have concluded that acesulfame-K is safe and it is approved for use in more than 90 countries around the world.

• Alitame is a sweetener, which is 2,000 times sweeter than sucrose. It is approved for use in Australia, China and Europe and is being tested for its use in a wide range of food products.

• Aspartame tastes very similar to sucrose but is 200 times sweeter. It is made by joining two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, both found naturally in protein-containing foods (such as meats, grains and dairy products), and a small amount of methanol. Aspartame has been extensively evaluated by worldwide regulatory bodies and is approved for use in more than 100 countries around the world.

• Cyclamate is 30 times sweeter than sucrose and is heat-stable. It has been widely used in low-calorie foods and beverages since its discovery in 1937. Cyclamate has been approved for use in more than 80 countries around the world and is often used together with other sweeteners.

• Saccharin is the oldest of the high intensity sweeteners and has been used since the turn of the century to sweeten foods and beverages. It has a taste 300 times sweeter than sucrose and is currently approved for use in more than 100 countries worldwide.

• Sucralose is a high intensity sweetener that is chemically modified from sugar. It is about 600 times sweeter than sucrose and can be used like sugar in a broad range of foods. Products made with sucralose maintain their sweetness during cooking and can be kept in storage for long periods. Sucralose has been approved for use in over 25 countries.

• Stevioside is extracted from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant grown in Brazil and Paraguay. It is about 300 times sweeter than sucrose. Stevioside is approved for use as a food ingredient in China, Japan, South Korea, Argentina and Brazil.