Have you ever heard the word aspartame? Probably still a bit strange in the ears, but know that aspartame is one of the artificial sweetener that has been widely used, in addition to other kinds of chemical sweeteners like saccharin and cyclamate.
Aspartame has a flavor that 180-200 times sweeter than sugar. No wonder if this lot is used in a variety of products, whether food or beverages.
Aspartame is the name for an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener used as a sugar substitute in many foods and beverages. In the European Union, it is known under the E number (additive code) E951.
Aspartame was first synthesized in 1965. Its use in food products was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 1980. Because its breakdown products include phenylalanine, aspartame is among the many substances that must be avoided by people with phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic condition.
Aspartame is a crystalline powder products are odorless and white in color and its stability is very dependent on time, temperature, pH, and water activity. Aspartame is very stable when in the dry state, but at a temperature of 30 to 80 degrees celcius (heated, sterilized, etc.), then would lose the sweetness of aspartame. Therefore, in most foods contain little or enough water the sweet taste of aspartame would survive, aspartame itself very well to the products stored in the refrigerator or in a frozen state.
In 1981, the FDA declared aspartame is not harmful if consumed sufficiently well provided with daily consumption limits for use in solid food materials. Then, in addition to licensing the use of aspartame in soft drinks after drinks in 1983 and finally in 1996 expressed as a replacement of the artificial sweetener that can be used in general.
Safety of aspartame use have been researched and recognized by many national and international organizations, including FAO / WHO Committee of Experts on Food Additives (JEFCA) and approved by the European parliamentary body for use as artificial sweeteners in foodstuffs on June 30, 1994.
Indeed, the use of aspartame is still a controversy not only in the United States but also across the globe. However, so far the FDA and several other health organizations still declared safe for consumption based on the number of studies conducted in various parts of the world from time to time.
To that end, the question of whether aspartame is safe for consumption? Despite the world health institutions has been declared safe, if an individual feels uncomfortable to consume, then they shouldn’t consume them.
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