Despite being deemed as potentially harmful to human health, aspartame is one of the sweeteners still commonly used in mainstream food and drinks. But why? That's the question on Emma Thackray's lips
In July 2023, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared aspartame as "possibly carcinogenic to humans".
In other words, it may have the potential to cause cancer.
Although there is limited evidence to support this, it's safety is still up for debate and the WHO has called for more investigation and better studies.
"The assessments of aspartame have indicated that, while safety is not a major concern at the doses which are commonly used, potential effects have been described that need to be investigated by more and better studies," says Dr Francesco Branca, Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety.
Some breakfast cereals contain aspartame
The general advice - set out by the WHO and Food Agriculture Organisation's Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) - remains the same.
They recommend consuming no more than the acceptable daily intake of 0-40mg aspartame per kg of body weight.
Despite the questions over its safety, which will need further research, aspartame is still being added to a wide range of food and beverage products.
"One of the main reasons aspartame is still used by brands across the globe is simple," says Emma, who is the co-founder of healthy drinks brand Hip Pop.
"It's cost-effective and has been fine-tuned for decades."
What is aspartame?
Aspartame is around 200 times sweeter than sugar
Discovered by American chemist James Schlatter in 1965, aspartame is a non-
saccharide sweetener.
It's also known as popular brand names NutraSweet, Equal and Canderel.
Aspartame is around 200 times sweeter than regular sugar.
It was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1974 for use as a tabletop sweetener and as an additive in chewing gum, breakfast cereals and other dry foods.
Today, aspartame can be found in a number of FMCG products, from diet sodas and sugar-free juices to gelatin-based foods and syrups.
Why is it still being used?
Popular fizzy drinks such as Coca-Cola contain aspartame
"Aspartame's key component, phenylalanine, can be modified to produce an
intensely sweet taste, making it more appealing to consumers," says Emma.
"Unlike other artificial sweeteners, such as saccharin – which has a bitter aftertaste – aspartame allows brands to use less product to achieve the same level of sweetness."
The following popular food and drinks all contain aspartame:
- Diet Coke
- Coke Zero
- Pepsi Max
- 7 Up Free
- Dr Pepper
- Some Fanta flavours
- Muller Light yoghurts
- Wrigley's Extra sugar-free chewing gum
- Some Lucozade drinks
- Tango Orange
- Irn Bru
- Powerade
- Ribena Light
The growth of the 'alternative' drinks market
"The number of health-conscious consumers has increased significantly in recent
years – and this shows no signs of slowing down," says Emma.
"According to research, the shift in preference from sugary sodas has dealt a 'great blow' to sales of carbonated soft drinks during this time.
"A recent report carried out by IBIS World shows that the soft drink manufacturing industry has grown at a modest annual rate of 1.7% over the past five years.
"Because of this, more beverage brands should be considering the use of healthier, natural and fermented alternatives using live cultures and 100% natural ingredients to replace aspartame and other artificial sweeteners in their drinks."
Emma and her business partner, Kenny, set out to do exactly that by brewing and selling their own kombucha.
They opened their first brewery in 2019 and, before long, Hip Pop functional gut lovin' drinks was born.
Hip Pop is craft-brewed on a UK farm
Now, the company is redefining the functional drinks landscape by craft brewing tasty and healthy drinks that "do good as well as taste good".
Since its inception, Hip Pop has experienced exponential growth, with its range of
vegan, low-sugar and non-artificial kombuchas and living sodas.
It's now stocked by Booths, Harrods, Fortnum & Mason and, most recently, 280 Sainsbury's stores, as well as Amazon.
Hip Pop was awarded a total of 5 stars across 4 of its fermented living culture drinks at this year's Great Taste Awards – the world's largest and most trusted food and drink accreditation scheme.
The importance of gut health
Hip Pop co-founder Emma Thackray
"According to studies, our gut health is closely linked to our mental wellbeing," says Emma.
"Gut microbes can influence mood and even alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.
"Artificial sweeteners like aspartame can disrupt the gut microbiome, leading
to imbalances that affect both our physical and mental health.
The future of food and drink
"As we gain a better understanding of our nutritional needs, it's likely that gut-friendly food and drink products will become the norm.
"This shift will involve embracing beneficial elements like prebiotics and probiotics whilst avoiding potentially harmful substances like artificial sweeteners.
"As we move towards a more health-conscious society, it's high time
we scrutinise the ingredients that go into our food and beverages.
"Aspartame, given its recent classification and potential health impacts, certainly warrants a closer look."
No comments:
Post a Comment