Aspartame (E951)
Aspartame is an intense low-calorie sweetener, which is very low
in calories and is 200 times sweeter than ordinary sugar. It is
made from the combination of two amino acids, L-aspartic acid and
L-phenylalanine, which are both naturally present in everyday foods
such as meat, vegetables, fruit, grains and mother's milk.
When aspartame is consumed, it breaks down into aspartic acid,
phenylalanine and a tiny amount of the organic compound methanol.
Large quantities of methanol can be toxic, however the low amounts
derived from aspartame and a wide range of other foods are not
considered to pose a risk to health.
By way of comparison a 115g banana contains as much methanol as
a 330ml can of a carbonated soft drink sweetened entirely sweetened
with aspartame. Similarly a 220ml glass of milk contains 7 times as
much aspartic acid and more than 3 times as much phenylalanine as a
330ml can of carbonated soft drink sweetened with aspartame.
Because the amino acids used to produce aspartame occur naturally,
the body treats it in the same way as it would if the source was
meat, cheese, vegetables, fruit juice or milk.
Labelling
People who suffer from the rare genetic metabolic disorder
phenylketonuria (PKU) have to monitor and control their intake of
phenylalanine from all sources of food and drink as they cannot
break it down naturally in the body. The contribution of
phenylalanine from aspartame is insignificant compared with that
from many other foods such as milk, cheese, eggs, meat, fish, fruit
and vegetables.
However in order to assist PKU sufferers, all products
containing aspartame are clearly labelled 'contains a
source of phenylalanine.'
PKU sufferers are identified at birth using a simple test which
takes place within the first few days. Medical guidance is given as
to how to handle this disorder.
Studies are continually in progress, evaluating
aspartame's effectiveness in areas such as weight control, the
improvement of dental health and diabetic management.