Frequently Asked Questions
about the Use of Aspartame in Low-Calorie Foods and Beverages
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PDF version of the Aspartame FAQs
 How
was aspartame tested before it was approved for use in foods?
 Aspartame is one of the most thoroughly studied ingredients
in the food supply. It was tested in more than 100 scientific
studies before the FDA approved it in 1981. The studies
were conducted in laboratory animals and several
subpopulations of humans, including healthy infants,
children, and adults, lactating women, people with diabetes,
obese individuals, and people who are carriers of the rare
genetic disease phenylketonuria (PKU). Individuals with PKU
cannot properly metabolize phenylalanine, one of aspartame’s components.
After approval, extensive additional research was done. The results further
confirmed the safety of aspartame for the general population.
How
is aspartame handled in the body?
Upon digestion, aspartame breaks down into three components (aspartic acid,
phenylalanine and methanol), which are then absorbed into the blood and used
in normal body processes. Neither aspartame nor its components accumulate in
the body. These components are used in the body in the same ways as when they
are derived from common foods.
Further, the amounts of these components from aspartame are small
compared to the amounts from other food sources. For example, a serving of
nonfat milk provides about 6 times more phenylalanine and 13 times more
aspartic acid compared to an equivalent amount of diet beverage sweetened 100%
with aspartame. Likewise, a serving of tomato juice provides about 6 times more
methanol compared to an equivalent amount of diet beverage with aspartame.
What
is methanol and is it a problem in consuming aspartame?
Methanol is a natural and harmless breakdown product of many commonly
consumed foods. The methanol produced during the digestion of aspartame is
identical to that which is provided in much larger amounts from many fruits,
vegetables and their juices and is part of the normal diet. In fact, a glass of
tomato juice provides about 6 times as much methanol as an equivalent
amount of diet beverage sweetened with aspartame. Regardless of the source,
after methanol is formed it is further broken down through
normal body processes. Numerous scientific studies have
shown that the amount of methanol one could consume
from aspartame-containing foods and beverages could
not reach harmful levels.
What
is the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of aspartame?
The ADI, expressed on a mg/kg body weight/day basis, is a very
conservative estimate of the amount of a sweetener that can safely be
consumed on a daily basis over a person’s lifetime. The FDA has set the ADI
for aspartame at 50 mg/kg of body weight/day. The ADI for aspartame is the
equivalent of a 70 kg (154 lb.) person consuming about 20 cans of aspartame-sweetened
beverage or about 100 sachets of tabletop sweetener with
aspartame per day.
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