In addition to the rigorous review by the FDA, research on aspartame has been evaluated by numerous governmental and medical authorities including the American Medical Association Council on Scientific Affairs, the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition, the American Diabetes Association, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association), the American Cancer Society, the American Dental Association, the American Council on Science and Health, the Epilepsy Institute, the European Food Safety Authority, and the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization.
Some critics claim that aspartame’s breakdown components (aspartic acid, phenylalanine, methanol) could have harmful effects. However, those claims are unfounded. Aspartic acid and phenylalanine are building blocks of protein that are found in all protein-containing foods. Methanol is a natural breakdown product of many foods such as fruit and vegetable juices. The FDA reviewed animal, clinical and consumption studies submitted by the sweetener’s manufacturer, as well as the existing body of scientific data, and “concluded that the studies demonstrated the safety of these components.”