Enlarged rendition of the aspartame molecule.
According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), aspartame is a safe substitute for food sweeteners. The agency approved the compound for certain uses in 1981, 16 years after its discovery at G.D. Searles and Company. Despite numerous conflicting reports and studies by independent agencies, the approval has not been reversed as of 2010.
FDA Approved
The FDA lists aspartame as a nutritive sweetener, "in accordance with good manufacturing practices; or sufficient for purpose; or quantity not greater than required." In 1996, FDA stated aspartame was okay to use for "general purposes" as a sweetener, allowing it to be used in all foods and beverages.
Other Studies
The FDA website showcases one negative study on aspartame conducted by the European Ramazzini Foundation in Italy. The FDA said it reviewed the data from the study, but not all the data were supplied. With the data on hand, the FDA noted shortcomings in the study and chose not to change its own findings.
Other Views
There are many websites that cast doubt on the safety of aspartame such as SweetPoison.com and NaturoDoc. However, none have provided exhaustive evidence to convince the FDA or other worldwide agencies that the compound is any more dangerous than normal food.
Aspartame.net lists many of the negative claims, along with its defense of the allegations.
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