Ingredient · Sweetener
Aspartame
A high-intensity artificial sweetener roughly 200 times sweeter than sugar, used in diet sodas, sugar-free gum, and tabletop sweeteners. Because so little is needed, it contributes effectively no calories.
also known as E951, APM, Aspartyl-phenylalanine methyl ester
Aspartame is a methyl ester of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. It breaks down under prolonged heat, which is why it appears in cold products and not in baked goods.
Products containing it must carry a phenylalanine declaration, because people with phenylketonuria cannot metabolise that amino acid. In 2023 the IARC classified aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) while the JECFA left the acceptable daily intake unchanged — the two bodies were answering different questions, and that unresolved disagreement is why this ingredient is flagged rather than banned.
Why it’s classified this way
Classified High risk following the 2023 IARC Group 2B listing, which sits unresolved against an unchanged acceptable daily intake.
References
- IARC Monographs Volume 134 (2023)
- JECFA 96th meeting — aspartame ADI