Which of the following chemical can be added for sweetening of food items at cooking temperature and does not provide calories?

Sucralose

The correct answer is option 4. Sucralose.

Sweetening food while keeping it calorie-free and maintaining sweetness during cooking requires a specific type of sweetener. Let's analyze each option and why they might not be the best fit:

1. Sucrose (table sugar): This familiar sugar adds sweetness, but it's not ideal for high temperatures. When heated, sucrose breaks down into simpler sugars, which can affect the texture and flavor of the food. Additionally, sucrose provides calories from carbohydrates.

2. Glucose: Another simple sugar, glucose offers sweetness but shares similar drawbacks to sucrose. It breaks down at high temperatures and contributes calories to the diet.

3. Aspartame: This artificial sweetener is popular for its intense sweetness and low-calorie content. However, aspartame can degrade at high temperatures, losing its sweetening power. While it wouldn't add calories, it wouldn't effectively sweeten cooked food.

4. Sucralose: This artificial sweetener stands out for its suitability in cooked foods:

High-temperature stability: Unlike sucrose or aspartame, sucralose is remarkably stable at high temperatures. This makes it perfect for baking and cooking applications where the food reaches high temperatures.

Calorie-free: Our bodies don't metabolize sucralose, so it passes through the digestive system without contributing any calories.

Sucralose is derived from sucrose, but with three hydroxyl groups replaced by chlorine atoms. This modification significantly alters how sucralose interacts with heat. The chlorine atoms create a more robust structure compared to the hydroxyl groups in sucrose, allowing sucralose to withstand high temperatures without breaking down.

Therefore, sucralose is the best choice for sweetening food items at cooking temperatures because it maintains its sweetness while offering a calorie-free alternative to traditional sugars.