Aspartame

Aspartame is a high-intensity sweetener built from two protein-derived amino acids, L-aspartic acid and L-phenylalanine, joined as a methyl ester dipeptide. The combination yields a clean, sugar-like sweetness about 200 times the intensity of sucrose at typical use levels.

The molecule has the formula C₁₄H₁₈N₂O₅ and a molar mass of 294.30 g/mol. It is a white, odourless crystalline powder, sparingly soluble in water and slightly soluble in ethanol.

Unlike non-nutritive sweeteners, aspartame is fully metabolized to its component amino acids and methanol, delivering 4 kcal per gram. Because dosage is so low, the caloric contribution to a finished food is negligible.

We source bulk Aspartame from top China manufacturers for our partners, working with several of them. The manufacturers are in Jiangsu. For this ingredient the minimum order is 1,000 kg and a 20-foot container takes 13.5 MT, and a smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.

Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.

or call +86-21-6858 0751

Minimum order: 1,000 kg
Qty in 20' FCL: 13.5 MT
Packaging: 25 kg kraft paper bag with PE inner liner

Function: Sweetener

ISO 9001
HACCP
Halal
Kosher

Specifications

Grades / Types Available: Food Grade, Pharmaceutical Grade

Item	Specification
Appearance	White crystalline powder
Assay (dry basis)	98.0% - 102.0%
Loss on Drying	≤ 4.5%
pH (0.8% solution)	4.5 - 6.0
Specific Rotation	+14.5° to +16.5°
Heavy Metals (as Pb)	≤ 10 mg/kg
Arsenic	≤ 3 mg/kg
Transmittance (1% solution at 430nm)	≥ 95.0%
5-Benzyl-3,6-dioxo-2-piperazineacetic acid	≤ 1.5%
Purity (Food Grade)	≥ 98.0%
Moisture/Loss on Drying	≤ 5.0%
Lead	≤ 1 ppm
Total Plate Count	≤ 1000 cfu/g
Yeast & Mold	≤ 100 cfu/g

Common Markets Grades

There are two grades of Aspartame: food and pharmaceutical. Both meet 98 to 102 percent assay on the dried basis, the pharmaceutical grade to the tighter specification.

The crystalline form comes in several particle-size distributions. A fine micronized grade is preferred for tablet sweeteners and dry beverage mixes, where rapid dissolution and uniform blending at very low dose levels are required.

A standard crystalline grade with larger particles is used in tabletop sachets, granular sweetener blends, and direct addition to syrups. A spray-dried agglomerated grade improves flow and reduces dusting in high-speed packaging lines.

Pharmaceutical-grade material complies with USP, BP, and Ph. Eur. monographs, with tighter limits on related substances such as diketopiperazine and free amino acids.

Applications

Diet carbonated soft drinks and low-calorie flavoured waters
Tabletop sweeteners in sachet, tablet, and granular formats
Sugar-free chewing gum, breath mints, and hard candies
Powdered drink mixes, instant tea, and instant coffee whiteners
Flavoured low-fat yogurts and fermented milk drinks
Sugar-free puddings, gelatin desserts, and frozen novelties
Breakfast cereals and reduced-sugar cereal bars
Pharmaceutical chewable tablets, lozenges, and oral suspensions to mask bitter actives
Children's vitamin syrups and effervescent tablets
Oral-care products including toothpaste, mouthwash, and fluoride rinses
Sugar-free salad dressings, table syrups, and dessert toppings
Multi-sweetener blends with acesulfame potassium for synergistic sweetness profiles

Brands Using Aspartame

Widely-distributed consumer products that list Aspartame on the ingredient label.

Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.

China Manufacturers of Aspartame

Top Aspartame manufacturers in China.

Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.

How We Help Source Aspartame

Direct Factory Sourcing
We run the whole process: selecting the manufacturer from the top Chinese food ingredient producers, negotiating the price, verifying quality, and coordinating the logistics. You deal with us instead of with several factories at once.
Original Packaging and Documents from the Manufacturer
The manufacturer sends your Aspartame out of its own factory in the original packing, through to your destination port. The COA, COO, MSDS, TDS and any certifications reach you from the manufacturer as well.
Free Samples and Lead Time
We send 100 to 500 g free for your own laboratory to test and you cover only the courier, usually within 2 to 3 working days. ETD is usually within 7 to 15 days once the order is confirmed, and we check that date against the factory's own manufacturing schedule before we give it to you.
Combined Shipment
We can load Aspartame together with other ingredients such as Stevia, Erythritol and Maltitol into one 20' FCL. If your quantity is small, we can also ship LCL.

Regulatory Status

Aspartame is approved as a food-additive sweetener in more than 90 countries.

In the European Union it carries the E number E951 under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) completed a full re-evaluation in 2013 and confirmed the safety of aspartame at current use levels.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved aspartame in 1981 for dry foods and tabletop use, expanded approval to carbonated beverages in 1983, and granted general-purpose status in 1996 (21 CFR 172.804). The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) has reaffirmed safety at multiple evaluations.

In July 2023 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified aspartame as Group 2B, possibly carcinogenic to humans, based on limited evidence. On the same day, JECFA reaffirmed the existing acceptable daily intake, finding no convincing evidence of adverse effects at current exposure levels.

Because aspartame releases L-phenylalanine on digestion, labels of foods containing it must carry a warning for people with phenylketonuria (PKU), an inherited inability to metabolize phenylalanine. The standard phrase in the EU and US is "Contains a source of phenylalanine" or "Phenylketonurics: contains phenylalanine."

Manufacturing Process

Aspartame Manufacturing Process

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Industrial aspartame manufacture follows two main synthetic routes that converge on the same protected dipeptide intermediate.

The chemical route couples N-protected L-aspartic acid with L-phenylalanine methyl ester using a carbodiimide or mixed-anhydride activation. The reaction produces both the desired alpha-aspartame and the bitter, non-sweet beta-isomer, requiring crystallisation to isolate the alpha form.

The enzymatic route, originally developed by Toyo Soda (now Tosoh) and refined by Holland Sweetener Company and Ajinomoto, uses the metalloprotease thermolysin to couple N-carbobenzoxy-L-aspartic acid with D,L-phenylalanine methyl ester. The enzyme is regioselective for the alpha-amide bond and stereoselective for the L-phenylalanine, eliminating the bitter beta-isomer in one step.

The intermediate is then deprotected by catalytic hydrogenation, neutralised, and crystallised as the free dipeptide methyl ester. Final material is dried, milled, and screened to the target particle size.