Sweeteners

Aspartame

Chemical formula: C14H18N2O5
Molar weight: 294.31
Relative sweetness: 200 times sucrose
Solubility: About 1% in water, 0.26 mg/100 ml in ethanol

Aspartame is a non-carbohydrate artificial sweetener, 200 times as sweet as sucrose, with almost no calories or carbohydrates and a clean taste close to sugar with no peculiar aftertaste. It was approved by the FDA in 1981 for dry food and in 1983 for soft drinks, and is now approved in more than 100 countries. The grade supplied here is a white odourless crystalline powder or granular material assaying 98-102%, with the diketopiperazine impurity held at 1.5% max.

Why buyers specify this grade

200 times the sweetness of sucrose, so dosage and freight per unit of sweetness are tiny
Almost no calories and no carbohydrates, for sugar-free and reduced-calorie formulation
Clean taste, the same as sucrose, fresh with no peculiar taste
Assay 98-102% with transmittance 95% min and arsenic 3 ppm max
Classified non-hazardous for transport, packed 25 kg net in cartons or fibre drums

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Specification

Appearance	White powder or crystalline
Assay	98 - 102%
Specific rotation [a]20D	+14.5 to +16.5
Transmittance	95% min
Loss on drying, 105 deg C 4 hr	4.5% max
Residue on ignition, sulfated	0.2% max
pH	4.5 - 6.0
Arsenic as As	3 ppm max
Heavy metals as Pb	10 ppm max
Other related substance	2.0% max
Diketopiperazine	1.5% max

Technical data

Chemical formula: C14H18N2O5
Molar weight: 294.31
Relative sweetness: 200 times sucrose
Solubility: About 1% in water, 0.26 mg/100 ml in ethanol
pH of 0.8% solution: 4.5 - 6.0
Transport classification: Non-hazardous

Quality control

Released against the full test table above including specific rotation, transmittance and diketopiperazine
TDS and MSDS issued with the order, sample COA on request

Where it is used

Beverage and soft drink sweetening
Candy and confectionery
General food and health care product formulation
Table-top sweetener and dry food blends

Who buys it

Soft drink and beverage manufacturers
Confectionery and candy producers
Health care and nutritional product formulators
Table-top sweetener packers

Problems it solves

Calorie and carbohydrate load from sucrose in a diet or sugar-free product
Off-taste and lingering aftertaste from cheaper high-intensity sweeteners
Regulatory approval in export markets, aspartame being approved in over 100 countries
Hazardous-goods paperwork, since this material ships as non-hazardous

Packing and options

25 kg net weight carton boxes or fibre drums with inner liner
Custom packaging available on request

How it compares

Against sucrose, aspartame delivers the same sweetness at 1/200th of the dosage with almost no calories, but it is not heat stable in the way sugar is and it carries an acidic optimum around pH 4.5-6.0. It suits beverages and cold applications; where long high-temperature baking is involved, a heat-stable sweetener is the better fit.

Handling and storage

Store under dry and cool conditions and keep the product air-tight
Formulate around the 4.5-6.0 pH optimum of the aqueous solution
Allow for solubility of about 1% in water when preparing concentrated syrups

FAQ

Aspartame questions buyers ask

How sweet is aspartame compared with sugar

200 times the sweetness of sucrose, with a taste the same as sucrose, fresh with no peculiar taste.

What assay do you supply

98 to 102%, with transmittance 95% min and specific rotation +14.5 to +16.5.

Is it approved for export markets

It was approved by the FDA in 1981 for dry food and 1983 for soft drinks, and has since been approved for use in more than 100 countries and regions.

What is the diketopiperazine limit

1.5% max, with other related substances 2.0% max.

How is it packed and shipped

25 kg net weight carton boxes or fibre drums with an inner liner. Custom packaging is available and transportation is classified non-hazardous.

How should it be stored

Under dry and cool conditions with the product kept air-tight.

What are the heavy metal limits

Arsenic 3 ppm max and heavy metals as Pb 10 ppm max.

Download TDS, MSDS and sample COA