Processed

Aspartame

Aspartame is an intense low-calorie sweetener made from the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine as a methyl ester. Roughly two hundred times sweeter than sucrose, it is used sparingly in diet soft drinks, tabletop packets, sugar-free chewing gum, yogurts, and powdered beverage mixes. Heat and prolonged acidity gradually break the ester, so formulators prefer cold or lightly pasteurised applications and often pair it with bulk carriers or other high-intensity sweeteners for a rounder taste curve. Pure aspartame is a white crystalline powder with a clean sweet onset and a mild lingering finish. People with phenylketonuria must avoid it because of the phenylalanine content; labels carry PKU warnings where required. Food-grade material is assayed for purity, residual solvents, and particle size so it dissolves evenly in dry blends and beverage syrups.

Also known as: E951, Aspartame, E951