Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is commonly used for a variety of processed food products. Through the synthesis of various amino acids, the known sugar-substitute called aspartame can be created.  The main components of aspartame include phenylalanine, methanol, and aspartic acid.  These combined ingredients are said to provide a sweeter taste compared to standard table sugar.  Aspartame is considered more stable when mixed with liquids.  Its sweet taste may not be as stable when it is used for cooking various dishes.

Many food items that can be found in grocery stores contain aspartame as the sweetening ingredient.  The best feature of aspartame is that only a small amount of it can be added to make any food item sweet.  Some even claim that it can produce as much as 10% more sweetness compared to the same serving of table sugar.  Another good thing about aspartame is that it is free of calories.  Many food items and beverages that are marketed towards the health-conscious contain aspartame that comes with a zero-calorie guarantee.  Various popular brands of juices and sodas contain aspartame to reduce the number of calories in these drinks.

The use of aspartame has been found to be safe for consumption by humans. This artificial sweetener has become widely used across the globe because of its desirable properties especially with liquid food items.  There are various concerns though regarding the supposed ill-effects of aspartame towards health.  Many believe that the contents of aspartame are actually toxic and provide a health hazard.  There are various studies linking aspartame to simple concerns like headaches to serious medical issues like neurological symptoms and even cancer. There are even concerns that food items that contain aspartame can even make people hungrier than normal which is bad news for weight-watchers.  Despite these concerns, many food products that contain aspartame continue to become popular and successful.