Aspartame and correct understanding

"Aspartame" word may be seen by consumers in some food labels. So, what is aspartame? Why label "containing phenylalanine"? Aspartame is a sweetener and is a kind of non carbohydrate sweeteners. It is a kind of food additives commonly used in international. China has been approved for use in 1986. Aspartame is a white crystalline powder with a refreshing sweet under normal temperature. It slightly soluble in water but insoluble in ethanol and oil. China's food additive standard GB2760-86 stipulates that it can be used in soft drinks, milk drinks, vinegar, coffee drinks and other foods.

It is a natural functional oligosaccharides and does not cause tooth decay. As well as pure sweet, low moisture absorption and no sticky phenomenon. It is a sweetener developed success and so far the closest sugar sweet taste. This product will not cause a significant increase in blood sugar, therefore it suitable for diabetes patients. It has a wide use, such as it can be used in cakes, biscuits, bread, wine, beverage, candy, ice cream, etc.





Because aspartame is about 200 times than the average sugar and less calories than the average sucrose. A grams of aspartame has about 4 thousand calories. As it makes people feel the amount required for sweet aspartame is very small, resulting in negligible calories, so it is widely used as a substitute for sucrose. It mainly in the beverage, vitamin lozenge or gum instead of using sugar. High temperature will cause it to break down and lose sweet taste, as a result, aspartame is not suitable for cooking and hot drinks.

The mixed use with sugar or other sweeteners has a synergistic effect. For example, add 2% ~ 3% to saccharin could cover the bad taste of saccharin. Mixed with flavours will has excellent efficiency.

But there are something need to pay attention to. The thermal stability to acid and alkali is poor. It is easy hydrolysis in acid and alkali or in high temperature. It is not suitable for making bread, biscuits, cakes and other baked goods and high acid foods when temperature is more than 150℃. Besides, it is not suitable for patients with phenylketonuria, because aspartame can be decomposed into phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol under the action of enzymes in the human gastrointestinal tract. So it needs to mark "Patients with benzene acetone urine should not be used" on the label. Get more here!