“Sugar substitute” on a label is a function name: it covers substances that provide sweetness with fewer or no calories. There are two main groups. High-intensity sweeteners such as aspartame (INS 951), acesulfame potassium (INS 950), sucralose (INS 955), saccharin (INS 954) and steviol glycosides (INS 960) are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar and are used in tiny amounts. Polyols such as sorbitol (INS 420), maltitol (INS 965) and xylitol (INS 967) are less sweet than sugar and also add bulk.
In snacks they are usually used alongside sugar to round out or boost sweetness rather than to replace it entirely. Honey Butter Almond (Tom’s Brand) names aspartame as its sugar substitute, and Cororo Grape Jelly uses acesulfame potassium.
Sweeteners in the Codex INS list are approved for food use within set limits. Foods containing aspartame must carry a phenylalanine warning for people with phenylketonuria (PKU), in Thailand as in the EU.
