sweetener

From sweeten +‎ -er (“agent suffix”).

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sweetener (plural sweeteners)

1. Something added to food to sweeten its taste, especially an artificial substitute for sugar.
   • 2023 May 15, April Rubin, “World Health Organization Warns Against Using Artificial Sweeteners”, in The New York Times‎^[1]:

     Some examples of the sweeteners include aspartame, saccharin, sucralose and stevia. The W.H.O.’s announcement contradicts previous studies that have said these sweeteners don’t offer any health benefits but also do not cause harm.

   • 2025 January 15, “FDA moves to eliminate carcinogenic Red 3 from foods”, in Center for Science in the Public Interest‎^[2]:

     Even as FDA works to develop that plan, consumers continue to be exposed to unsafe food chemicals including not just dyes but also the artificial sweetener aspartame, the white pigment titanium dioxide, the preservative propylparaben, and the phthalate food packaging chemicals, according to CSPI.

2. (informal) Something given or added to added to a deal to sweeten another's attitude, especially a bribe or kickback.
3. (slang) A shill bidder at an auction.

• (gift or bribe): douceur; see gift and Thesaurus:bribe