Final answer:
Stevia is not a sweeter-than-sucrose synthetic sweetener; it is a natural sweetener derived from a plant, unlike aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose which are all synthetic and sweeter than sucrose.
Step-by-step explanation:
Among the options provided, Stevia is NOT a sweeter-than-sucrose synthetic sweetener. Aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose are all synthetic and sweeter than sucrose. Aspartame is approximately 180 times sweeter than sucrose and is used in various foods except for baked goods due to its lack of heat stability. Saccharin, which is about 300 times sweeter than sucrose, is known for its calorie-free contribution and bitter aftertaste. Sucralose, found to be roughly 600 times sweeter than sucrose and is heat stable, is synthesized from sucrose by substituting three chlorine atoms for hydroxyl groups.
In contrast to these synthetic options, Stevia is a natural sweetener derived from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant and is not synthetically produced. It contains steviol glycosides, which can be up to 150 times sweeter than sucrose, and it does not provide calories since it is not metabolized by the body. Despite its sweetness, Stevia is not classified as a synthetic sweetener.