| |
Frequently Asked Questions
about the Use of Aspartame in Low-Calorie Foods and Beverages
Click here for
PDF version of the Aspartame FAQs
 How
can you tell there is aspartame in a product?
 In the United States, all food ingredients, including aspartame, must be
listed in the ingredient statement on the food label. Aspartame containing
products may also be identified by the information statement,
“Phenylketonurics: Contains Phenylalanine,” on the package.
Can
aspartame be used in cooking or baking?
Yes. Several tabletop sweeteners containing aspartame as the sweetening
ingredient can be used in a wide variety of recipes. However, in some recipes
requiring lengthy heating or baking, a loss of sweetness may occur; this is
not a safety issue — simply the product may not be as sweet as desired.
Therefore, it is best to use tabletop sweeteners with aspartame in specially
designed recipes available from the manufacturers of these tabletop
sweeteners. Aspartame tabletop sweeteners may also be added to some recipes
at the end of heating to maintain sweetness.
How
do foods and beverages sweetened with aspartame fit into healthful
eating?
Health experts agree that eating well and being physically active are keys to a
healthful lifestyle. To help people achieve a more healthful lifestyle, the U.S.
government provides “Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” which encourages
consumers to “Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little added
sugars or caloric sweeteners.” The World Health Organization also
recommends a number of dietary guidelines to combat increases in chronic
diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, cancer, and diabetes. One
recommendation is to limit sugars added to some foods and beverages. As
a sweetener, aspartame can reduce or replace the calories in foods and
beverages while maintaining great taste, offering one simple step to help
people move closer to achieving a more healthful diet. Simply substituting
a can of diet soft drink for a regular soft drink saves about
150 calories; substituting a packet of low-calorie tabletop
sweetener for two teaspoons of sugar three times daily
(e.g., in coffee and tea and on cereal) saves about 100
calories a day; and 4-oz. of aspartame-sweetened pudding
substituted for regular pudding saves 80 calories.
Can
aspartame help people lose weight?
Yes. Studies have shown that foods and beverages sweetened with
aspartame can be an effective “tool” as part of a weight management
program. Aspartame, however, is not a drug and does not stimulate weight
loss. It does help make possible good tasting low- or reduced-calorie foods
and beverages for those who wish to control or decrease their caloric intake.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School have concluded that aspartame “is a
valuable adjunct to a comprehensive program of balanced diet, exercise and
behavior modifications for losing weight.”
More FAQ’s
|
