Origin
The sweetener E 951 consists of colorless, sweet-tasting crystals that poorly dissolve in water. Moreover, E 951 is not particularly heat-stable; therefore, the substance is not suitable as an additive for foods that need to be cooked or baked. Aspartame is synthesized from asparagine acid, phenylalanine, and methanol through a chemical process.
Usage
E 951 is metabolized by the human organism and provides about as much energy as regular household sugar, but since aspartame has approximately 200 times the sweetness strength, it only needs to be used in very small doses. Therefore, its contribution to the energy balance can be neglected. E 951 can be found among others in: sugar-free desserts, beverages, sweets, sweet-sour fruit and vegetable preserves, snack foods, alcoholic drinks, sweet-sour fish and seafood preserves.
Risks
Aspartame is highly controversial. It causes rather individual disturbances in many people such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, visual disturbances, and hyperactivity. Moreover, E 951 is dangerous for people suffering from the metabolic disorder phenylketonuria. However, warning labels can be found on the packaging of the respective foods.