Introducing two very different sweeteners: honey and neotame. Honey, a natural sweet and viscous substance produced by bees, serves as nourishment for bee colonies. Bees diligently gather and refine the sugary secretions of plants or the secretions of other insects to create honey, known for its distinct flavor and versatility.
On the other hand, neotame, an artificial sweetener, offers a non-caloric alternative with a sweetness level 8000 times greater than sucrose. Marketed under the trade name Newtame, neotame enhances food flavors without significant strange flavors. It can be used independently or combined with other sweeteners for an intensified and refined sweetness, often cheaper than alternate options. In this article, we compare these two sweeteners to determine which emerges as the superior choice.
Comparing Neotame vs. Honey
| Neotame | Honey | |
| Substitution ratio | n/a | n/a |
| Gluten-free? | Yes | Yes |
| Keto-friendly? | No | No |
| Paleo-friendly? | No | No |
| Common Allergens | Aspartame | Honey, some pollens |
| Pantry shelf life (unopened/sealed) | 5 years | Indefinite |
| Best for baking | Diet sweet food products and beverages | Flaky, sweet pastries and baked goods |
Differences Between Neotame And Honey
Pure or medicinal honey boasts numerous health benefits owing to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Derived from the flowers bees faithfully pollinate, the vast range of honey varieties delights the taste buds with unique flavors and characteristics.
Mainly composed of sugars like fructose (around 40%) and glucose (around 30%), honey also contains water (17%), as well as other sugars, carbohydrates, and trace amounts of vitamins and minerals. When stored below its melting point, honey possesses a pleasant liquid consistency that gradually thickens as the temperature drops.
Beyond being a delightful natural sweetener, honey also acts as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial agent. It is commonly used orally to alleviate coughs, while its topical application aids in burn treatment and wound healing.
Neotame, an artificial sweetener derived from aspartame, couldn’t be more different. With its saccharine taste resembling sucrose, neotame offers qualities similar to aspartame but without a bitter or metallic aftertaste.
Available in the form of a white to off-white crystalline powder, neotame maintains stability even under high temperatures. Its versatility as an all-purpose sweetener allows for its incorporation into a wide range of cooking and baking applications. Neotame finds its way into various products, including baked goods, beverages, candies, chewing gum, and sweetened dairy products, and can even be used as a tabletop sweetener.
Taste and Culinary Uses
Honey, with its diverse flavor profile, goes beyond mere sweetness by adding depth and complexity to dishes. Its versatility brings flavor and texture to sweet and savory creations, enriching casseroles, sauces, dressings, and more.
Neotame offers a sweet taste similar to sugar, with a subtle licorice aftertaste. Its key strength lies in its ability to enhance flavors, particularly for berry and citrus fruits. This makes it a great choice for enhancing the taste of various food and beverage products, such as ice cream, cakes, pudding, and more. Neotame finds application in the pharmaceutical industry, where it can effectively mask the taste of supplements, vitamins, bitter food ingredients, and active pharmaceuticals.
Are Neotame and Honey Substitutes for Each Other?
Neotame cannot be substituted for honey unless it is to sweeten a beverage. Why? Because it is thousands of times sweeter than honey, a much smaller amount in baking and cooking would be required to reach the desired level of sweetness, probably messing up the consistency of your product.
Nutritional Profile And Health Benefits
- Honey (1 tbsp.):
- Calories: 60
- Total carbs: 17 g
- Sugars: 17 g
- GI: 58
- Neotame:
- Calories: 0
- Total carbs: 0 g
- Sugars: 0 g
- GI: 0
Honey possesses potential therapeutic properties due to its phytochemical, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. It contains bioactive molecules like flavonoids and polyphenols, which act as antioxidants. These properties make honey a valuable addition to the treatment of certain diseases.
On the other hand, neotame offers health benefits as a low-calorie sweetener. With zero calories and a glycemic index of 0, neotame does not contribute to energy intake or affect blood sugar levels. These qualities make neotame a suitable alternative for individuals seeking a sweetener without these particular adverse effects.
Diet Suitability
When it comes to diet suitability, honey and neotame have different considerations. Honey, though considered a natural sweetener, is not vegan due to its origin and production process involving bees. While honey aligns with the principles of a paleo lifestyle as a whole food, it may disrupt ketosis and is not allowed on the keto diet. On Whole30, all sweeteners, including honey, must be eliminated.
On the other hand, neotame, an artificial sweetener, is considered vegan. However, it is not keto-friendly and lacks approval for the paleo and Whole30 diets. As an artificial and highly refined sweetener, neotame contradicts the natural and unprocessed food focus of the paleo diet.
How to Store Neotame and Honey
To properly store honey and neotame, it is recommended to use sealed glass jars with airtight lids for honey and to avoid non-food plastic or metal containers. This prevents exposure to air and potential honey oxidation. Ensure dry storage conditions for neotame.
Price and Availability
Honey is typically priced at $2.96 per pound, although it can vary significantly depending on factors such as quality and origin. In comparison, neotame prices range from 12 – 40 dollars per pound. While honey can vary in price, it is generally more readily available than neotame.
Environmental Impact
When it comes to environmental impact, honey stands out as a sustainable choice for sweetening. Honey production has minimal greenhouse gas emissions compared to artificial sweeteners as it doesn’t require large machinery or fertilizers. The process of bringing honey from the hive to your cupboard is relatively simple and natural.
On the other hand, artificial sweeteners have a significant environmental impact. These chemical compounds are not fully metabolized in the human body, and their non-natural origin makes it difficult for the environment to degrade them. This means they can have a lasting negative effect on our natural environment.
Neotame vs. Honey: The Ultimate Verdict
I will take whole food and natural sweeteners over artificial ones any day, so honey has my vote for this debate. However, if you are looking for a calorie-free sweetener that still has the same taste as sugar, then neotame may be worth considering. Ultimately, it is up to you to decide which of these two sweeteners is suitable for your diet and lifestyle.
FAQs
Due to its intensely sweet flavor, finding the right dosage can be challenging. Negative connotations are often linked to its aspartame origins. Also, its sweetness has a delayed onset compared to sugar.
Neotame ingestion may result in phenylalanine formation, but its impact is negligible for individuals with phenylketonuria during regular neotame use.
Neotame, marketed as Newtame®, is an FDA-approved sweetener used in food.
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