October 22, 2025

Aspartame

  • Aspartame, a sweetener used in aerated drinks, is set to be declared a carcinogenic substance by World Health Organisation.
  • These are also known as non-nutritive sweeteners or ‘sugar substitutes.
  • It is the world’s most commonly used low-calorie artificial sweetener used in cereals, sugar-free chewing gum, low-calorie fruit juices and diet sodas.
  • It is approximately 200 times sweeter than sucrose (common sugar).
  • It was discovered by James M. Schlatter, a chemist, in 1965 and was introduced to replace sucrose.
  • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved aspartame for use in some dry foods in 1981 and for carbonated beverages in 1983.
  • Aspartame is a methyl ester of a dipeptide consisting of two amino acids, aspartic acid, and phenylalanine.
    • Both are naturally occurring amino acids in many protein-rich foods.
  • In the body, aspartame is metabolised into its constituent components, aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and a small amount of methanol.
  • Around 100 countries around the world, including India, allow the use of aspartame.
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

© 2025 Civilstap Himachal Design & Development