Aspartame is one of the most thoroughly studied food ingredients
ever, with more than 200 scientific studies confirming its
safety. In 1981 aspartame was approved for use in tabletop
sweeteners and various foods and dry beverage mixes, making it
the first low-calorie sweetener approved by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) in more than 25 years. In 1983, FDA
approved aspartame for use in carbonated beverages followed by a
number of other product category approvals over the next 13
years, leading to a general use approval in foods and beverages
in 1996. In addition to FDA, the Joint Expert Committee on Food
Additives (JECFA) of the World Health Organization and Food and
Agriculture Organization, the Scientific Committee on Food of
the European Commission (SCF), and regulatory agencies in more
than 100 countries have reviewed aspartame and found it to be
safe for use. Today, aspartame has established itself as an
important component in thousands of foods and beverages.
Consumer research shows that low-