Number: RS20218
Title: ASPARTAME
Authors: Donna V. Porter, Science, Domestic Social Policy Division 
Abstract: Recent information broadcast on the internet, suggesting that there are health hazards associated with use of the artificial sweetener, aspartame, has precipitated constituent mail to congressional offices. Since it was first approved for use as a food additive in 1981, aspartame has been linked by its critics to a number of health problems. However, federal officials report that, after more than a decade of monitoring, there is no clinical evidence that this aspartame sweetener poses a hazard to the average consumer. Individuals with phenylketonuria (PKU), a genetic metabolic disorder, should avoid aspartame because it contains phenylalanine which they can not metabolize. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved aspartame for use in all food and beverages, following one of the most rigorous testing programs and regulatory reviews in food additive history. Food labels are required to identify the presence of aspartame both on the ingredient label and the warning statement for individuals with PKU. Bills were introduced in the 98th and 99th Congresses to address maximum concentrations, labeling, and consumer education issues, but no final action was taken. In 1987, the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources (since renamed Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)) held the most recent aspartame hearing.
Pages: 3
Date: Updated June 3, 1999