If you happen to be one of those people dubious about the safety of the artificial sweetener aspartame, but love Diet Pepsi, then we have some great news for you! Due to popular demand, PepsiCo is replacing the sweetener it uses in its Diet Pepsi drinks. There is a downside though, which would be that it's only happening in the US, with the recipe remaining unchanged in the rest of the world. "Why is this happening?" you might ask. Well, despite there being numerous studies on the matter proving otherwise, there have been concerns about the potential side effects of aspartame since it was first approved for use back in the 1980s. The sweetener has been linked with (but not proven to cause) MS, mental health problems and tumours, to name but a few, and concern about the use of aspartame has escalated in recent years. Last year, sales of both Diet Pepsi and Diet Coke - both of which contain aspartame - fell by more than 5% and 6% respectively. And it's all thought to be down to customers worrying about the ingredients. "Aspartame is the number one reason consumers are dropping diet soda," explained Pepsi Vice-President Seth Kaufman. So, here's what you should know about aspartame. For a start, it's about 200 times sweeter than sugar, meaning only a tiny amount is needed and, therefore, contains very few calories. Breakfast cereals, sugar-free gum, and thousands of other foods and drinks around the world contain the sweetener. And because it has been linked with so many health problems, including those we mentioned earlier, it is one of the most analysed food additives out there. However, it's possible that these health problems arise from extremely high doses of some of its components, such as aspartic acid or methanol. But take a moment to think about avocado and asparagus, which both contain high levels of aspartic acid; tomatoes, wine and beer can hold high doses of methanol. And yet, we still continue to consume these things. In fact, experts tout that aspartame is safe for everyone except for those with a rare genetic disorder called phenylketonuria (PKU). Those with this condition are unable to break down some of the components of aspartame, and to consume it would make them very ill. While the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) asserts the safety of aspartame, citing more than 100 studies supporting this, they agree that there should be a limit to how much of it people consume. In the UK, the recommended daily limit is about 40mg per kg of body weight, which is roughly 12 cans of Diet Pepsi in a day. PepsiCo said it is just responding to its customer preferences and insist that the decision is purely a commercial one. According to a spokesperson for the company, UK consumers and those in the rest of the world still love the product as it is. Because of this, the change will only be affecting those in the US, with the launch of the aspartame-free drink happening in August. The aspartame is being replaced with another sweetener called sucralose (Splenda is a good example of a sucralose-based sweetener). Sucralose is three times sweeter than aspartame, so less can be used in the making of Pepsi's diet soft drinks. The daily limit of sucralose is also lower than that of aspartame, and although its use has been linked to migraines, the conclusion has been reached that it is safe to use, just like aspartame. Sucralose is thought to offer a better taste than some other artificial sweeteners, and it's also more stable, especially when heated. However, although the taste of Diet Pepsi shouldn't change, the new version might leave a different feeling in the drinker's mouth. The recipe change will only be integrated into Diet Pepsi varieties, such as Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi, but won't be affecting other diet drinks owned by the company, like Diet Mountain Dew. What consumers have to remember is that PepsiCo's decision to move away from aspartame in the US isn't anything to do with some startling new scientific revelation about the sweetener - there isn't one. It is completely down to allaying the fears of their customers, and finding an alternative so that people can start enjoying their drinks again without any worry. "Diet cola drinkers in the US told us they wanted aspartame-free Diet Pepsi," the company pointed out in a statement, "and we're delivering."
No comments:
Post a Comment