Aspartame - Artificial Sweetener

October 09, 2025

Aspartame is an artificially synthesized sweetener that is easily soluble in water and has a refreshing, sucrose like sweetness. Its sweetness is 200 times that of sucrose, and its calorie content is only 1/200 of sucrose. Due to its low calorie and high sweetness characteristics, Aspartame is often used in the food industry to replace traditional sugars such as sucrose to provide sweetness. Aspartame is widely used in beverages, candies, and baked goods. In recent years, with the increasing attention of consumers to health, controversies about the safety of Aspartame have also occurred, which has led manufacturers to conduct more in-depth research on the production process of Aspartame to meet the market's demand for healthier products.

The industrial production of Aspartame by Chinese enterprises began in the mid-1990s, after more than 20 years of ups and downs in the industry. The effective production capacity of China's Aspartame industry has grown from less than 3000 tons in 1998 to 24500 tons, making it the world's largest producer and exporter of Aspartame. According to Chinese customs data, the export volume of Aspartame from China reached 18572 tons in 2023.

In terms of export destinations, Chinese Aspartame is mainly exported to the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, India, Türkiye, Colombia, the Philippines, Chile and other places. In 2023, the total export volume of Aspartame from the above ten countries will account for 64.5% of the total export volume of the country, of which the United States will account for the largest proportion, up to 27.0%, followed by Indonesia and Brazil, accounting for 6.4% and 6.3% respectively.

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Sweet characteristics of Aspartame:

Flavor enhancement characteristics

Aspartame has a synergistic effect on certain food and beverage flavors, especially on acidic fruit flavors. Sensory evaluation suggests that Aspartame has a better synergistic effect on natural flavors than synthetic flavors.

In addition, chewing gum with Aspartame has a sweetness duration that is four times longer than using sucrose. When mixed with some slightly less sweet sweeteners, Aspartame can easily alter its lingering sweetness characteristics and taste, which should be noted when preparing food.

Synergistic effect

Aspartame can be mixed with strong sweeteners or carbohydrate sweeteners to significantly reduce the energy of the product without altering its sweetness. When Aspartame is mixed with strong sweeteners such as Saccharin, Acesulfame, or Stevia, the product sometimes has a slightly bitter taste, which can be improved by increasing the proportion of Aspartame in the mixture.

However, for certain populations, consuming Aspartame may require caution. For example, pregnant women, lactating women, children, and individuals with metabolic disorders such as phenylketonuria should avoid or limit their intake of Aspartame and promote a balanced diet.