A Sweet Evil? The Disturbing History of Aspartame
How corporate interests affected the approval of dangerous ingredients
How could one simple sweetener have such a sordid history? The story of aspartame is about ignoring science, corporate interests, and even a little government corruption throw in for good mix.
This is a look back on the very sketchy history of one of the world's most popular sweeteners: aspartame.
Aspartame’s Accidental Discovery
Aspartame also goes by the name NutraSweet or Equal and is found in over 6000 products. It is 200 times sweeter than sucrose and was accidentally discovered by a chemist working on an anti-ulcer drug.
In 1965, while working for international pharmaceutical company G.D. Searle (G.D. Searle is now owned by chemical giant Monsanto), a chemist named James M. Schlatter had accidentally licked his finger to turn a page with a finger that had been contaminated by aspartame derived from ethanol.
The sweet taste astounded him, and he quickly made note of it. But nothing much came of it. The discovery was reported in 1966 but not recognized until 1969.
During the low-calorie movement of the late 70s, they recognized a use for aspartame and a great…
