Aspartame
Recent media reports have once again questioned the safety of the sweetener, aspartame. The Joint Food Safety and Standards Group (JFSSG) takes any reports about aspartame's safety seriously and has published the following statement on MAFF's website.
Aspartame is an intense sweetener, approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar, which has been used in soft drinks and other low-calorie or sugar-free foods throughout the world for over 25 years. It is sometimes referred to by its original trade name of Nutrasweet and it appears on ingredient lists as either "aspartame"; or "E951".
Sweeteners and other food additives are tightly regulated and may only be used once their safety has been rigorously assessed. However, a number of reports are circulating which claim to cast doubt on the safety of this sweetener. JFSSG takes such reports very seriously since no additive should be permitted unless there is convincing evidence that it will not harm consumers.
Aspartame was first approved for use in the UK in 1982 following a review by the Committee on Toxicity (COT), a committee of independent experts who advise the Government on the safety of food chemicals. The COT fully reviewed aspartame again in 1992 and after studying all the available scientific information confirmed that aspartame is safe for use. The international bodies who advise the World Health Organisation and the European Commission have reached the same conclusion.
Some critics claim that aspartame is linked to a wide range of serious disorders such as multiple sclerosis, lupus erythrematosis, Gulf War Syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, brain tumours and diabetes mellitus. However, most of the data to substantiate these claims is anecdotal and no reliable scientific evidence is available to show that aspartame might be responsible for these conditions.
Some reports also raise concerns about methanol, which is produced when aspartame is broken down in the body. Although large quantities of methanol can be toxic, the amounts derived from aspartame are less than those found naturally in other foods and do not pose a risk to health.
There is a small group of people who cannot safely consume aspartame. These are the sufferers of the inherited disease, phenylketonuria (PKU), who are unable to metabolise the amino acid, phenylalanine effectively, leading to the accumulation of potentially harmful levels. PKU is a serious metabolic disorder which is normally diagnosed shortly after birth by a routine blood test. Sufferers need to follow a very strict diet in order to limit their intake of phenylalanine, which is a normal constituent of protein. Since aspartame is also a source of phenylalanine all food products containing aspartame are clearly labelled to indicate the presence of phenylalanine so that those people who suffer from PKU can avoid consuming these products. This labelling is a legal requirement.
As with all food additives, the files on aspartame remain open and any new relevant scientific or medical data will always be examined. For example, a scientific report published in 1996 suggested a potential link between aspartame consumption and brain tumours in the USA. This report was reviewed at the time by the relevant expert UK committee, who expressed serious concerns about the quality of the paper and concluded that it did not raise any concerns over the use of aspartame.
Further information can be obtained from the Consumer Helpline, JFSSG, MAFF, Room 306c, Ergon House c/o Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR. If in the UK please telephone 0345 573012 (local call rate; for those outside the UK please telephone +44 (0)20 7238 6550; fax +44 (0)20 7 238 6330. Inquiries can also be e-mailed to
[email protected]f. gov.uk
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