use. NHDC is intended to be used as a sweetener in various food categories at maximum levels of 10-1000 ppm. NHDC is also included both in European Pharmacopoeia and United States Pharmacopoeia, for being used as excipient in drug products. The safety of NHDC has been extensively tested. Safety studies have indicated that NHDC is neither toxic, mutagenic nor carcinogenic. Like other flavonoids, NHDC is easily metabolized by intestinal microbiota to innocuous products. The safety of NHDC has been thoroughly tested again by the European Food Safety Agency in 2022. The acceptable daily intake was set at 20 mg/kg of body weight. Uses In food it is used as a flavour enhancer in concentrations of around 4-5 parts per million (ppm) and as an artificial sweetener at around 15-20 ppm. Masking Pharmaceutical companies are fond of the product as a means of reducing the bitterness of pharmacological drugs in tablet form, and it has been used for livestock feed as a means of reducing feeding time. It is also widely favoured for use in otherwise naturally bitter products. Enhancer As a flavour enhancer, NHDC is used in a wide range of products and is indicated by the E number E 959. It is noted particularly for enhancing sensory effects (known in the industry as 'mouth feel'). An example of this is 'creaminess' in dairy foods such as yogurt and ice cream. Other uses Other products NHDC can be found in may include a wide variety of beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, savoury foods, toothpaste, mouthwash and condiments such as ketchup and mayonnaise. NHDC is also used as excipient in drug products to mask the bitter taste of some active pharmaceutical ingredients. References Internal link Naringin dihydrochalcone External links EVESA. Sugar substitutes Food additives Dihydrochalcone glycosides E-number additives