Aspartame has been approved as a sweetener in Europe for some 25 years, and is used across food and beverage categories in products marketed as low calorie or sugar-free. Its reputation has been clouded somewhat by some negative perceptions amongst consumers and some studies that have investigated reports of ill-effects – despite regulatory and scientific authorities finding no just cause to reassess its status.
On announcing at FiE last week that its aspartame will now be called AminoSweet, Ajinomoto said it “believes that the time is right to remind people that aspartame is made from two amino acids and brings absolutely nothing new to the diet, just sweetness without the calories”.