Britannica Sources used in this answer

How does aspartame compare with sucrose in sweetness?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Aspartame is a synthetic organic compound that is significantly more potent than sucrose, the standard sugar used to measure sweetness.21

In terms of relative sweetness, aspartame is approximately 150 to 200 times as sweet as sucrose. Because of this high potency, only a small amount of aspartame is required to achieve a level of sweetness comparable to that of sugar. Unlike sucrose, which provides functional properties such as bulk, texture, and moisture in food, aspartame is a nonnutritive sweetener used primarily for its intense sweetening power without the caloric content associated with carbohydrates.213