Aspartame

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener commonly used in a variety of foods and beverages. It is a synthetic ingredient, meaning it is made in a lab rather than being extracted from plants or natural sources.

This sweetener is produced by combining two amino acids, aspartic acid, and phenylalanine. These components are found naturally in many protein-rich foods. Aspartame is much sweeter than sugar, so only a small amount is needed to achieve the desired level of sweetness.

You might find aspartame listed on food labels of products like diet sodas, sugar-free gum, and low-calorie desserts. It is used to enhance the sweetness of foods and drinks without adding calories. Because it is so intensely sweet, only a tiny bit is needed to replace the sugar content in these products.

Foods in the CalorieStar database containing Aspartame