Dental caries affects people worldwide. The oral microflora has been found to be less responsible than the carbohydrate diet, which is considered the main cause of dental caries. Carbohydrates from sucrose are processed by oral bacteria and acids are produced as a byproduct. High sugar intake is a risk factor for systemic health and for overall health of the oral cavity. Artificial sweeteners are considered a healthy alternative for people who prefer the sweet taste but renounce sucrose. In the United States there are several artificial sweeteners approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Among these, stevia is the only natural sweetener. Stevia is extracted from the Stevia rebaudiana plant. Steviol glycosides are extracted from the stevia leaf and refined to get the best taste quality. There are many types of steviol glycosides that are extracted from the stevia plant and the most important steviol glycosides will be discussed in the thesis. Scientific research (PubMed, EMBASE), appropriate websites (Colgate, Pure Circle Stevia Institute), the World Health Organization, HealthInfo Clinical Advisers and vectorstock as well as books in English and in Russian (The Stevia Deception: The Hidden Dangers of Low Calorie Sweeteners By Bruce Fife, and Puti Izbavlenie of Bolezne by Neumyvakin) were consulted. Electronic searches were limited to publications in the past five years. The scope of the thesis is to review the basic statistics on dental caries, the types of caries and the number of people affected, discuss the advantages and benefits of stevia relative to other artificial sweeteners, review the safety of stevia including side effects and potential as an addictive sugar substitute and lastly, to assess and recommend which form of stevia is most effective against dental caries.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:41:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 RosimereMLF_DISSERT.pdf: 4130045 bytes, checksum: 8bd2b0d06407df9f474aa2e763c256ba (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-01-11 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / Sweeteners provide a pleasant sensation of sweetness that helps the sensory quality of the human diet, can be divided into natural sweeteners such as fructose, galactose, glucose, lactose and sucrose, and articial sweeteners such as aspartame, cyclamate and saccharin. This work aimed to study the thermal stability of natural and artificial sweeteners in atmospheres of nitrogen and syntetic air using thermogravimetry (TG), derivative thermogravimetry (DTG), Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Among the natural sweeteners analyzed showed higher thermal stability for the lactose and sucrose, which showed initial decomposition temperatures near 220 ? C, taking advantage of the lactose has a higher melting point (213 ? C) compared to sucrose (191 ? C). The lower thermal stability was observed for fructose, it has the lowest melting point (122 ?C) and the lower initial decomposition temperature (170 ?C). Of the artificial sweeteners studied showed higher thermal stability for sodium saccharin, which had the highest melting point (364 ? C) as well as the largest initial decomposition temperature (466 ? C under nitrogen and 435 ? C in air). The lower thermal stability was observed for aspartame, which showed lower initial decomposition temperature (158 ? C under nitrogen and 170 ? C under air). For commercial sweeteners showed higher thermal stability for the sweeteners L and C, which showed initial temperature of thermal decomposition near 220 ? C and melting points near 215 ? C. The lower thermal stability was observed for the sweetener P, which showed initial decomposition temperature at 160 ? C and melting point of 130 ?C. Sweeteners B, D, E, I, J, N and O had low thermal stability, with the initial temperature of decomposition starts near 160 ?C, probably due to the presence of aspartame, even if they have as the main constituent of the lactose, wich is the most stable of natural sweeteners. According to the results we could also realize that all commercial sweeteners are in its composition by at least a natural sweeteners and are always found in large proportions, and lactose is the main constituent of 60% of the total recorded / Os ado?antes proporcionam uma agrad?vel sensa??o de do?ura, que auxiliam na qualidade sensorial da dieta humana, os quais podem ser divididos em ado?antes naturais, como a frutose, galactose, glicose, lactose e sacarose; e artificiais, tais como aspartame, ciclamato e sacarina. Este trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a estabilidade t?rmica destes ado?antes em atmosferas de nitrog?nio e ar sint?tico utilizando-se a Termogravimetria (TG), Termogravimetria Derivada (DTG), An?lise T?rmica Diferencial (DTA) e Calorimetria Explorat?ria Diferencial (DSC). Entre os ado?antes naturais analisados verificou-se uma maior estabilidade t?rmica para a lactose e sacarose, que apresentaram temperaturas iniciais de decomposi??o t?rmica pr?ximas de 220 ?C, tendo a lactose vantagem por possuir um maior ponto de fus?o (213 ?C) em rela??o ? sacarose (191 ?C). A menor estabilidade t?rmica foi observada para a frutose, que apresentou o menor ponto de fus?o (122 ?C), assim como uma menor temperatura inicial de decomposi??o t?rmica (170 ?C). Dos ado?antes artificiais estudados verificou-se uma maior estabilidade t?rmica para a sacarina s?dica, que apresentou o maior ponto de fus?o (364 ?C), assim como a maior temperatura inicial de decomposi??o t?rmica (466 ?C sob nitrog?nio e 435 ?C sob ar). A menor estabilidade t?rmica foi observada para o aspartame, com a menor temperatura inicial de decomposi??o t?rmica (158 ?C sob nitrog?nio e 170 ?C sob ar). Para os ado?antes comerciais observou-se maior estabilidade t?rmica para os ado?antes L e C, os quais apresentaram temperaturas iniciais de decomposi??o t?rmica pr?ximas de 220 ?C e pontos de fus?o pr?ximos de 215 ?C. A menor estabilidade t?rmica foi observada para o ado?ante P, que apresentou temperatura inicial de decomposi??o em 160 ?C e ponto de fus?o em 130 ?C. Os ado?antes B, D, E, I, J, N e O apresentaram baixa estabilidade t?rmica com as temperaturas iniciais de decomposi??o pr?ximas de 160 ?C, provavelmente devido ? presen?a do aspartame, ainda que estes possuam como principal constituinte a lactose, que ? o mais est?vel dos ado?antes naturais. De acordo com os resultados p?de-se perceber tamb?m que todos os ado?antes comerciais possuem em sua composi??o pelo ao menos um ado?ante natural e sempre s?o encontrados em grandes propor??es, sendo a lactose o principal constituinte de 60 % do total analisados

Ao longo das últimas décadas tem se verificado um aumento concomitante no consumo de adoçantes artificias e na epidemia da obesidade. Adicionalmente ao seu disseminado uso em bebidas dietéticas, os adoçantes artificias são utilizados em milhares de outros produtos, desde comidas congeladas, iogurtes até papinhas para bebês. Apesar de ser muito utilizado por pessoas que visam um estilo de vida mais saudável, vários estudos têm demonstrado que o consumo de adoçantes artificiais pode levar a ganho de peso e ao desenvolvimento de diversas alterações metabólicas enquadradas dentro da síndrome metabólica. Por outro lado, o número de estudos avaliando os efeitos do consumo materno de adoçantes artificiais não calóricos sobre o metabolismo dos filhotes ao longo de sua vida são quase inexistentes. Na primeira parte dessa tese verificamos que a exposição intrauterina a aspartame e sacarina, dois adoçantes artificiais não calóricos, interferiu no metabolismo dos animais quando adultos, sendo que o aspartame apresentou efeitos mais pronunciados. Demonstrou-se que os animais expostos ao aspartame durante o período pré-natal apresentaram um maior consumo de alimentos doces durante a idade adulta e que eles estavam mais suscetíveis a alterações metabólicas, apresentando níveis aumentados de glicose, LDL e triglicerídeos. Na segunda fase deste trabalho, verificou-se que os machos expostos ao aspartame apresentaram aumento nos níveis de leptina, um hormônio secretado por adipócitos e conhecidamente envolvido no controle do metabolismo energético. Concomitantemente, esses animais apresentaram uma diminuição em receptores hipotalâmicos envolvidos na via de sinalização da insulina. Os resultados encontrados nessa tese vão de encontro com a literatura, que também tem verificado efeitos mais expressivos dos adoçantes artificiais sobre os machos. Analisando-se em conjunto, os dados encontrados nessa tese sugerem que o consumo de adoçantes artificiais, especialmente o aspartame, durante a gravidez pode levar a efeitos deletérios ao filhote no longo prazo, sendo um fator de risco para o desenvolvimento de resistência à insulina e aumentando a susceptibilidade ao desenvolvimento de desordens metabólicas na idade adulta. / Over the past decades, the consumption of artificial sweeteners have grown alongside the obesity epidemic. In addition to its widespread use in diet drinks, artificial sweeteners are used in thousands of other products ranging from frozen foods, yogurt to baby food. Despite being widely used by those seeking a healthier lifestyle, several studies have shown that consumption of artificial sweeteners can lead to weight gain and development of several metabolic disorders classified in the metabolic syndrome spectrum. Nonetheless, the number of studies evaluating the effects of maternal consumption of non-caloric artificial sweeteners on the metabolism of offspring throughout his life are almost nonexistent. In the first part of this thesis we found that intrauterine exposure to aspartame and saccharin, two artificial non-caloric sweeteners, interfere with the metabolism of animals as adults, and the aspartame had more pronounced effects. The study showed that animals exposed to aspartame during prenatal period increased their intake of sweet foods during adulthood and that they were more susceptible to metabolic alterations, with elevated levels of glucose, triglycerides and LDL. In the second phase of this study, it was found that males exposed to aspartame showed increases in the plasma levels of leptin, a hormone secreted by adipocytes and known to be involved in the control of energy metabolism. Concomitantly, these animals showed a decrease in hypothalamic receptors involved in insulin signaling pathway. The result found in this thesis are in line with the literature that has also found that males are more sensitive to the effects of artificial sweeteners. Analyzing together, the data found in this thesis suggest that the consumption of artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame, during pregnancy can lead to deleterious effects on the puppy in the long run, being a risk factor for the development of insulin resistance and increasing the susceptibility to develop metabolic disorders in adulthood.

Ao longo das últimas décadas tem se verificado um aumento concomitante no consumo de adoçantes artificias e na epidemia da obesidade. Adicionalmente ao seu disseminado uso em bebidas dietéticas, os adoçantes artificias são utilizados em milhares de outros produtos, desde comidas congeladas, iogurtes até papinhas para bebês. Apesar de ser muito utilizado por pessoas que visam um estilo de vida mais saudável, vários estudos têm demonstrado que o consumo de adoçantes artificiais pode levar a ganho de peso e ao desenvolvimento de diversas alterações metabólicas enquadradas dentro da síndrome metabólica. Por outro lado, o número de estudos avaliando os efeitos do consumo materno de adoçantes artificiais não calóricos sobre o metabolismo dos filhotes ao longo de sua vida são quase inexistentes. Na primeira parte dessa tese verificamos que a exposição intrauterina a aspartame e sacarina, dois adoçantes artificiais não calóricos, interferiu no metabolismo dos animais quando adultos, sendo que o aspartame apresentou efeitos mais pronunciados. Demonstrou-se que os animais expostos ao aspartame durante o período pré-natal apresentaram um maior consumo de alimentos doces durante a idade adulta e que eles estavam mais suscetíveis a alterações metabólicas, apresentando níveis aumentados de glicose, LDL e triglicerídeos. Na segunda fase deste trabalho, verificou-se que os machos expostos ao aspartame apresentaram aumento nos níveis de leptina, um hormônio secretado por adipócitos e conhecidamente envolvido no controle do metabolismo energético. Concomitantemente, esses animais apresentaram uma diminuição em receptores hipotalâmicos envolvidos na via de sinalização da insulina. Os resultados encontrados nessa tese vão de encontro com a literatura, que também tem verificado efeitos mais expressivos dos adoçantes artificiais sobre os machos. Analisando-se em conjunto, os dados encontrados nessa tese sugerem que o consumo de adoçantes artificiais, especialmente o aspartame, durante a gravidez pode levar a efeitos deletérios ao filhote no longo prazo, sendo um fator de risco para o desenvolvimento de resistência à insulina e aumentando a susceptibilidade ao desenvolvimento de desordens metabólicas na idade adulta. / Over the past decades, the consumption of artificial sweeteners have grown alongside the obesity epidemic. In addition to its widespread use in diet drinks, artificial sweeteners are used in thousands of other products ranging from frozen foods, yogurt to baby food. Despite being widely used by those seeking a healthier lifestyle, several studies have shown that consumption of artificial sweeteners can lead to weight gain and development of several metabolic disorders classified in the metabolic syndrome spectrum. Nonetheless, the number of studies evaluating the effects of maternal consumption of non-caloric artificial sweeteners on the metabolism of offspring throughout his life are almost nonexistent. In the first part of this thesis we found that intrauterine exposure to aspartame and saccharin, two artificial non-caloric sweeteners, interfere with the metabolism of animals as adults, and the aspartame had more pronounced effects. The study showed that animals exposed to aspartame during prenatal period increased their intake of sweet foods during adulthood and that they were more susceptible to metabolic alterations, with elevated levels of glucose, triglycerides and LDL. In the second phase of this study, it was found that males exposed to aspartame showed increases in the plasma levels of leptin, a hormone secreted by adipocytes and known to be involved in the control of energy metabolism. Concomitantly, these animals showed a decrease in hypothalamic receptors involved in insulin signaling pathway. The result found in this thesis are in line with the literature that has also found that males are more sensitive to the effects of artificial sweeteners. Analyzing together, the data found in this thesis suggest that the consumption of artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame, during pregnancy can lead to deleterious effects on the puppy in the long run, being a risk factor for the development of insulin resistance and increasing the susceptibility to develop metabolic disorders in adulthood.

Ao longo das últimas décadas tem se verificado um aumento concomitante no consumo de adoçantes artificias e na epidemia da obesidade. Adicionalmente ao seu disseminado uso em bebidas dietéticas, os adoçantes artificias são utilizados em milhares de outros produtos, desde comidas congeladas, iogurtes até papinhas para bebês. Apesar de ser muito utilizado por pessoas que visam um estilo de vida mais saudável, vários estudos têm demonstrado que o consumo de adoçantes artificiais pode levar a ganho de peso e ao desenvolvimento de diversas alterações metabólicas enquadradas dentro da síndrome metabólica. Por outro lado, o número de estudos avaliando os efeitos do consumo materno de adoçantes artificiais não calóricos sobre o metabolismo dos filhotes ao longo de sua vida são quase inexistentes. Na primeira parte dessa tese verificamos que a exposição intrauterina a aspartame e sacarina, dois adoçantes artificiais não calóricos, interferiu no metabolismo dos animais quando adultos, sendo que o aspartame apresentou efeitos mais pronunciados. Demonstrou-se que os animais expostos ao aspartame durante o período pré-natal apresentaram um maior consumo de alimentos doces durante a idade adulta e que eles estavam mais suscetíveis a alterações metabólicas, apresentando níveis aumentados de glicose, LDL e triglicerídeos. Na segunda fase deste trabalho, verificou-se que os machos expostos ao aspartame apresentaram aumento nos níveis de leptina, um hormônio secretado por adipócitos e conhecidamente envolvido no controle do metabolismo energético. Concomitantemente, esses animais apresentaram uma diminuição em receptores hipotalâmicos envolvidos na via de sinalização da insulina. Os resultados encontrados nessa tese vão de encontro com a literatura, que também tem verificado efeitos mais expressivos dos adoçantes artificiais sobre os machos. Analisando-se em conjunto, os dados encontrados nessa tese sugerem que o consumo de adoçantes artificiais, especialmente o aspartame, durante a gravidez pode levar a efeitos deletérios ao filhote no longo prazo, sendo um fator de risco para o desenvolvimento de resistência à insulina e aumentando a susceptibilidade ao desenvolvimento de desordens metabólicas na idade adulta. / Over the past decades, the consumption of artificial sweeteners have grown alongside the obesity epidemic. In addition to its widespread use in diet drinks, artificial sweeteners are used in thousands of other products ranging from frozen foods, yogurt to baby food. Despite being widely used by those seeking a healthier lifestyle, several studies have shown that consumption of artificial sweeteners can lead to weight gain and development of several metabolic disorders classified in the metabolic syndrome spectrum. Nonetheless, the number of studies evaluating the effects of maternal consumption of non-caloric artificial sweeteners on the metabolism of offspring throughout his life are almost nonexistent. In the first part of this thesis we found that intrauterine exposure to aspartame and saccharin, two artificial non-caloric sweeteners, interfere with the metabolism of animals as adults, and the aspartame had more pronounced effects. The study showed that animals exposed to aspartame during prenatal period increased their intake of sweet foods during adulthood and that they were more susceptible to metabolic alterations, with elevated levels of glucose, triglycerides and LDL. In the second phase of this study, it was found that males exposed to aspartame showed increases in the plasma levels of leptin, a hormone secreted by adipocytes and known to be involved in the control of energy metabolism. Concomitantly, these animals showed a decrease in hypothalamic receptors involved in insulin signaling pathway. The result found in this thesis are in line with the literature that has also found that males are more sensitive to the effects of artificial sweeteners. Analyzing together, the data found in this thesis suggest that the consumption of artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame, during pregnancy can lead to deleterious effects on the puppy in the long run, being a risk factor for the development of insulin resistance and increasing the susceptibility to develop metabolic disorders in adulthood.

Bakgrunn: Diabetes er globalt økende, og et voksende folkehelseproblem. Hovedårsakene er den raske økningen av fedme, fysisk inaktivitet og et økende antall eldre. Samtidig med økt inntakav sukker og kunstige søtningsstoffer, brus og lettbrus, har fedme og diabetestilfeller også økt. Hensikten med denne studien var å undersøke om det er en sammenheng mellom inntak av brus og lettbrus og insidensav diabetes type 2. Metode: Data ble samlet fra Adventist Health Study-2, en prospektiv kohortstudie. Data benyttet varbasert på et spørreskjema ved studiestart, og et oppfølgingsskjema, Hospital History Form(HHF-3). HHF-3 ble benyttetopptil 6 år senere med spørsmål om en evt. diabetesdiagnose, og tidspunkt for diagnosen. Deltakere med diabetes ved studiestart ble ekskludert. Antall deltakere i diabetesstudien var 45777. Nye diabetestilfeller under studien var 1277. Analysene ble gjort både med og uten kroppsmasseindeks (KMI). Det ble benyttet komplementær log-log-Cox analyse for å beregne hazard ratioer (HR) og tilhørende 95 % konfidensintervaller. Resultater: I multivariate analyser justert for demografiske variabler, KMI, type kosthold, fysisk aktivitet, inntak av fiberog magnesium, var inntak av≥1 boks ( = 355 ml) lettbrus daglig assosiert med insidens av diabetes type 2(HR=1,46, 95% CI, 1,19-1,78),p(trend)&lt; 0,0001. Inntak av ≥ 1 boksvanlig brusdagligvar ikke forbundet med økt risiko for diabetes, (HR=1,20, 95 %Cl 0,95-1,50). Sammenhengene ble styrketog statistisk signifikant for begge typer brus når det ikke blejustert for KMI. Andre risikofaktorer for utvikling av diabetes var alder, mannlig kjønn, ikke-hvit etnisitet, og KMI. Et høyt magnesiuminntak, et høytfiberinntak, høyere utdanningog et vegetarisk kostholdvar beskyttende mot sykdommen. Konklusjon: Inntak av lettbrus men ikkevanlig brus,var signifikant assosiert med utvikling av diabetes type 2. / Background: Diabetes is increasing globally,presenting a growing public health problem. The rapid rise of obesity, physical inactivity, and an increasinglyelderly populationcontribute to this epidemic. The increase in obesity and diabetes coincide with increased intake of sugary and artificially sweetened drinks. Aim: This study aimed to investigate whether the consumption of regularor diet soft drinks predicts the incidence of type2 diabetes. Method: We used data collected from the Adventist Health Study-2, a prospective cohort study. The data was based on a baseline questionnaire, as well as a follow-up form (i.e., hospital history form-3) distributed to previous respondents up to 6 years later. Both questionnaire and follow-upformasked about a possible diabetes diagnosis and date of diagnosis. Importantly, Adventist Health Study-2 excluded individiuals who presented with diabetes at baseline. Among 45,777 subjects, the study detected 1,277 new cases of diabetes. Analyses were conducted both with and without body mass index. Complementary log-log Cox analysis was used to calculate hazard ratios(HR)and corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Results: Adjusted for demographic variables, body mass index, type of diet, physical activity, and fiber and magnesiumintake, multvariateanalysis showed that consumptionof ≥1 can (355 ml) of diet soda/day was associated with the incidence of type 2 diabetes (HR=1.46, 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.73;p&lt;0.001). In comparison,consumptionof ≥ 1 can of regular soda/daydid not increaserisk of diabetes (HR = 1.20, 95% CI, 0.95 to 1.50). The associations were strengthened and statistically significant for both types of soda when not adjusted for BMI. Other risk factors for developing diabetes included age, male gender, non-white ethnicity, and body mass index. High intake of magnesiumandfiber, higher education,and a vegetarian diet were protective against the disease. Conclusion:  Consumption of diet soda was significantly associated with the development of type 2 diabetes. / <p>ISBN 978-91-982282-0-5</p>

The aim of this diploma thesis is the determination of selected organic pollutants with a focus on artificial sweeteners in waste water from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) Modřice and the subsequent degradation of the thus obtained concentrations in model water using advanced oxidation processes (AOP). Two sweeteners were determined, namely sucralose and saccharin found in waste water. Synthetic sweeteners are not sufficiently cleaned in the WWTP and penetrate the environment. Effective processes for removing organic substances, including alternative sweeteners, are AOP processes. These processes are based on reactions of highly reactive hydroxyl radical (OH·), which is produced by many chemical reactions. Generally, they use ozone (O3) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). On sampling, wastewater samples were treated with Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) and then evaluated by HPLC/MS (High Performance Liquid Chromatography). In observing the degradation of selected sweeteners, three AOP methods were used: O3/UV, H2O2/UV and O3/H2O2. For each of these methods, the efficiency of degradation of sucralose and saccharin was investigated. From the evaluated data it was found that the most efficient AOP process for removing artificial sweeteners from water is the O3/H2O2 method.

This study employs Michel Foucault's conceptualization of governmentality, or dispersed rationalities that seek to calculate and maximize the health of the population, to study how eating regimes of truth influence how individuals relate to their bodies and each other. Importantly, the study of eating regimes elucidates how food rules are portrayed in the discourses, institutions, philosophical and moral propositions, administrative measures, and technologies (what Foucault refers to as societal apparatuses of power, or dispositifs) that address what and how to eat. In this dissertation, I specifically analyze dispositifs that promote certain foodstuffs as devotional objects that can be utilized as forms of pleasure and/or self-control. I conceptualize artificial sweeteners as ingestible stores of self-control and biopower, arguing that they provide a lens through which to view how mealtime rituals, temporalities of eating, and the intersubjective perceptions of the relationship between food consumption and the ideal healthy body have transformed in the face of discourses that emphasize the need to strip food of carbohydrate- and calorie-loaded consequences. The dissertation analyzes how contemporary dietary discourses in the United States encourage individuals to view freedom of food choice as a binary selection between binge and restrict eating practices. I argue that this notion of dietary balance is part of what I refer to as the neoliberal binge-restrict eating regime. I analyze the binge-restrict eating regime on three different yet supplementary registers: 1) that of neoliberal discourses of dietary balance, which are premised on logics and technologies of rigid, machine-like correction and anticipatory compensation through carefully planned periods of restriction and healthy eating followed by food binges, or periods where an individual indulges in seemingly unhealthy foodstuffs; 2) that of discourses that encourage the individual to consume endlessly but not allow signs of "excessive" consumption to develop in the body; 3) and that of edible instantiations of the binge-restrict eating regime, with a particular emphasis on artificial sweeteners. The dissertation concludes that the contemporary notion of dietary balance as "binge-restrict" is informed by a popular interpretation of food rules as rigid, algorithmic truths and contributes to a loss of embodied knowledge regarding how to eat well. / Doctor of Philosophy / This study provides an analysis of forms of dietary advice and food rules that problematize the use of individual dietary discretion, prompt individuals to rely on systems of dietary advice, and present certain foodstuffs, such as artificial sweeteners, as ingestible stores of self-control. I argue that certain accepted ways of understanding, categorizing, and portraying food knowledge mold and shape how individuals experience reality, and that these ways of understanding can be referred to as regimes of truth. The study examines how eating regimes of truth, or ways of portraying food knowledge that influence how individuals define and categorize normal and abnormal eating behaviors, can be discerned across diet manuals, advertisements for diet products, life insurance pamphlets, governmental documents, and weight loss technologies from the 17th century to the present in Western Europe and the United States. More specifically, I analyze how food rules are increasingly shaped by advertising media that portray food knowledge as an object of expert control since food selection is perceived to be an increasingly risky activity. Given the extensive ingredient lists on food labels, along with the shifting regulatory and scientific statements that characterize how foodstuffs are grown or produced, prepared, packaged, labeled, and sold, embodied relationships to food remain difficult to cultivate given that the lines between natural, artificial, toxic, and safe ingredients and foodstuffs have been blurred. Even the consumption of seemingly "natural" products must constantly be monitored, since grocery store produce items often contain lead, arsenic, cadmium, and other synthetic materials that are portrayed as being dangerous to the health of consumers. Through advertising and digital technologies, food rules are portrayed as rigid algorithms that must be rigorously and rigidly applied to one's food selection and eating habits.

This master´s thesis is focused on simultaneous determination of sweeteners and preservatives in energy drinks by liquid chromatography coupled with DAD and ELSD detection. The method was optimized for determination of aspartame, acesulfame K, saccharin, sucralose, steviol glycosides, benzoic acid and sorbic acid. Analyses were carried out on the Poroshell 120 EC-C18 column (4.6 x 150 mm, 2.7 m, Agilent) using mixture of methanol, acetone and water with formic acid and trimethylamine as a gradient mobile phase at a flow rate 0,5 mL•min-1. Validation parameters were determined (limit of detection, limit of quantification, repeatability and recovery). The validated method was applied on real samples.