This artificial sweetener has long divided opinion as to whether consumption is safe and if it's an effective way to cut back ...

It can be about 300 to 500 times sweeter than table sugar. Sugar substitutes like erythritol and aspartame are used in many everyday household goods – chewing gum, canned food, diet sodas ...

Aspartame contains 4 calories per gram, but it is up to 200 times sweeter than sugar and so very small amounts are needed, which means it contributes a negligible number of calories to the diet.

and sugar-free cough drops. It is also used to enhance flavouring of baked and canned foods, powdered drink mixes, candy and puddings. Aspartame’s use in food products has been debated for ...