What is aspartame?

    Last Updated: April 3, 2024

    Aspartame is a nonnutritive artificial sweetener used as a food additive in foods, drinks, and some drugs. It is a dipeptide of the naturally occurring amino acids L-aspartic acid and L-phenylalanine.[1][2][3][4]

    Aspartame is most commonly used as a sugar substitute in soft drinks, candy, chewing gum, and low-calorie foods and is also available as a tabletop sweetener, sold under brand names like Canderel, Hermesetas Gold, NutraSweet, and Pal Sweet.

    References

    1. ^Choudhary AK, Pretorius ERevisiting the safety of aspartameNutr Rev.(2017 Sep 1)
    2. ^National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology InformationPubChem Compound Summary for CID 134601, AspartamePubChem.(2024 Feb)
    3. ^EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS)Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of aspartame (E 951) as a food additiveEFSA Journal.(2013 Dec)
    4. ^Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)Joint IARC and JECFA summary of findings of the evaluation of aspartame including Q&A. World Health Organization(2023 July)