List of Aspartame Products
Over the last decade, aspartame has been one of the most important components in many sugar-free foods and beverages, also known as low-calorie or “diet” products. Since it was approved in 1981, the U.S. FDA has reaffirmed its safety about 26 times, in response to mounting public concern.
Aspartame is found in more than 6,000 products and is consumed by over 200 million people worldwide, which makes it one of the most widely used artificial sweeteners. In 1981, it was first approved as a tabletop sweetener and additive to dry foods and two years after it was approved for use as an ingredient of carbonated beverages. This artificial sweetener is mainly found in soft drinks, which account for more than 70 percent of aspartame-containing products. Also, majority of processed foods contain aspartame.
Aspartame-Containing Foods And Beverages
Some of the food products that contain aspartame include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Breath Mints
- Carbonated Soft Drinks
- Cereals
- Chewing Gum
- Confections
- Condiments
- Dessert Mixes
- Flavored Syrups for Coffee
- Flavored Water Products
- Frozen Ice
- Frozen Ice Cream Novelties
- Fruit Spreads
- Gelatin, Sugar Free
- Hard Candies
- Ice cream Toppings
- Ice Creams, No Sugar or Sugar Free
- Iced Tea, Powder
- Iced Tea, Ready to Drink
- Instant Cocoa Mix
- Jams & Jellies
- Juice Blends
- Juice Drinks
- Maple Syrups
- Meal Replacements
- Mousse
- No Sugar Added Pies
- Non-Carbonated Diet Soft drinks
- Nutritional Bars
- Powdered Soft Drinks
- Protein Nutritional Drinks
- Puddings and Fillings
- Soft Candy Chews
- Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup
- Sugar Free Cookies
- Sugar Free Ketchup
- Table Top Sweeteners
- Vegetable Drinks
- Yogurt (Drinkable, Fat Free, Sugar Free)
- Some medications (such as vitamins and sugar-free oral solutions)
Check if the food products or beverages that you consume contain aspartame. Read the food label of each product you take. Manufacturers are required to list all ingredients contained in every food product.
Since tabletop sweeteners and condiments contain aspartame, majority of cooked foods you consume, regardless of whether you bought them from a fast-food or cooked them in your own kitchen, may contain aspartame. Usually, aspartame-containing table sweeteners are added to the recipe near the end of heating to ensure that the desired sweetness is achieved. The amount of aspartame in recipes may be difficult to quantify and measure.