Aspartame is approved for use in food as a nutritive sweetener. Aspartame brand names include Nutrasweet®, Equal®, and Sugar Twin®. It does contain calories, but because it is about 200 times sweeter than table sugar, consumers are likely to use much less of it.

FDA approved aspartame in 1981 (46 FR 38283) for uses, under certain conditions, as a tabletop sweetener, in chewing gum, cold breakfast cereals, and dry bases for certain foods (i.e., beverages, instant coffee and tea, gelatins, puddings, and fillings, and dairy products and toppings). In 1983 (48 FR 31376), FDA approved the use of aspartame in carbonated beverages and carbonated beverage syrup bases, and in 1996, FDA approved it for use as a “general purpose sweetener.” It is not heat stable and loses its sweetness when heated, so it typically isn’t used in baked goods.

Aspartame is one of the most exhaustively studied substances in the human food supply, with more than 100 studies supporting its safety.

FDA scientists have reviewed scientific data regarding the safety of aspartame in food and concluded that it is safe for the general population under certain conditions. However, people with a rare hereditary disease known as phenylketonuria (PKU) have a difficult time metabolizing phenylalanine, a component of aspartame, and should control their intake of phenylalanine from all sources, including aspartame. Labels of aspartame-containing foods and beverages must include a statement that informs individuals with PKU that the product contains phenylalanine.

Additional Information about High-Intensity Sweeteners Permitted for Use in Food in the United States, FDA website

Did they miss the studies where PKU was induced by feeding? And do they know spellcheck wants Nutrasweet to be NutraSweet? Also, if PKU is so rare, and hereditary, why do they test every newborn for it since the 60s (after the science proved it could be induced)? Seems like between pricking the noobs and draining their parents like deranged vampires since…forever, they should know very well who is at risk without unnecessary bloodshed. Of course the science says most everybody is at risk since aspartame poisoning can be acute or cumulative or both. In fact the very same scientist GD Searle hired for tests (Waisman) and others had already confirmed that much with their monkey business? What on earth is going on here? I am very early in my studies but I think it is safe to say something is not right with all that.

Wikipedia says:

NBS (newborn screening) started with the discovery that the amino acid disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) could be treated by dietary adjustment, and that early intervention was required for the best outcome. Infants with PKU appear normal at birth, but are unable to metabolize the essential amino acid phenylalanine, resulting in irreversible intellectual disability.

In the 1960s, Robert Guthrie developed a simple method using a bacterial inhibition assay that could detect high levels of phenylalanine in blood shortly after a baby was born. Guthrie also pioneered the collection of blood on filter paper which could be easily transported, recognizing the need for a simple system if the screening was going to be done on a large scale. Newborn screening around the world is still done using similar filter paper. NBS was first introduced as a public health program in the United States in the early 1960s, and has expanded to countries around the world.

this probably needs its own post

In any case, I am happy to read aspartame is considered a nutritive sweetener, or was as of 2018, because it was getting confusing with the amino acids and a similar number of calories as sugar…