Database/Flavouring/Aspartame
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Aspartame natural?

Mostly. A dipeptide of two fermentation amino acids with a small methyl group from petrochemical methanol.

INCI nameAspartame
CAS22839-47-0
FormulaC14H18N2O5 · 294.30 Da
FunctionFlavouring
FeedstockFermentation aspartic acid and phenylalanine, esterified with methanol.

How we scored it

L-aspartic acid 133.1 Da and L-phenylalanine 165.2 Da (both fermentation, natural) condense to the dipeptide 280.3 Da; the methyl ester adds CH2 14.0 Da from petrochemical methanol (the ester oxygen belongs to the acid). Total 294.3 Da; 280.3/294.3 = 0.95.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

Fermentation aspartic acid and phenylalanine, esterified with methanol.

In plain English

An intensely sweet flavouring made by joining two amino acids together with a small alcohol-derived cap. Mostly built from fermentation-derived building blocks, with one small synthetic piece.

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Structure

2D structure of Aspartame

(3S)-3-amino-4-[[(2S)-1-methoxy-1-oxo-3-phenylpropan-2-yl]amino]-4-oxobutanoic acid

PubChem CID 134601 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2Aspartame. PubChem CID 134601. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3ASPARTAME. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4ASPARTAME. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ASPARTAME