Is aspartame safe?

Yes. Aspartame's safety has been documented in more than 200 objective scientific studies. The safety of aspartame has been confirmed by the regulatory authorities of more than 100 countries, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada, as well as expert committees such as the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Food and the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives.

The U.S. FDA is one of the governmental agencies charged with safeguarding the American food supply. Upon approval of aspartame, the FDA concluded that it was safe for the general public including children, pregnant and nursing women, and diabetics.

According to the FDA, aspartame is one of the most thoroughly studied ingredients in the food supply. In fact, when approving aspartame, the FDA Commissioner noted: "Few compounds have withstood such detailed testing and repeated, close scrutiny, and the process through which aspartame has gone should provide the public with additional confidence of its safety."

Prior to its approval in 1981, aspartame's safety was documented in more than 100 scientific studies. These tests were conducted in laboratory animals and several human groups, including healthy infants, children and adults, lactating women, people with diabetes, and obese individuals. Aspartame was tested in amounts many times higher than individuals could possibly consume in the diet. The results of these studies demonstrated that aspartame is safe and not associated with adverse health effects.

In detailed reviews of aspartame's safety in 2002 and 2003, health authorities in the European Union, United Kingdom, France, and Canada re-confirmed aspartame's safety.

Health organizations, such as The American Medical Association's Council on Scientific Affairs, the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association have reviewed research on aspartame and found the sweetener to be safe.