History of Aspartame
Aspartame was founded in December 1965 by James M. Schlatter, who was trying to crystalize aspartame with ethenol, he accidentally spilled the aspartame outside the flask, and powdered aspartame got on his fingers. He later licked his fingers, because he was trying to pick up some papers and tasted a strong sweet taste, he made a guess that it was aspartame that he tasted, and concluded it wasn't toxic, because he didn't feel different, so he tasted the aspartame for a second time, and his guess was right. He later reported about the disocvery of aspartame in 1966.
In 1974 eight years after its discovery, aspartame was finally being sold in markets in the United States. G.D Searle, the company James M. Schlatter was working with, conducted tests concerning aspartame. They used rats to test if aspartame had side effects, and when they sent the informatin they have gathered to a biological research facility, a pathologist Dr. Jacqueline Mauro said that the compound induced tumors in the liver, testes and the thyroid of the rats.
Few months later this compound was suspended, because the FDA task force proved that G.D Searle didn't properly study this compund for various side effects, so in retaliation to this G.D Searle decided to hire the former member of the congress and the chief of staff in general ford administration, Donald Rumsfeld as their president to help in the approval of aspartame.
On January 21, 1981, the day after President Ronald Reagan took office as the president, G.D Searle tried once again for the approval of aspartame. After further studies about Aspartame, on July 18, 1981 aspartame was approved for use on dry foods by the FDA commissioner Arthur Hull Hayes Jr., seeing this as an opportunity, G.D Searle decided to propose the idea of using aspartame in soft drinks, and children's vitamins, and in 1983, Mark Novitch, the acting FDA commissioner, approved aspartame for use in carbonated drinks and carbonated beverage syrup bases, Mark Novitch was the person, who accepted this request, because Arthur Hull Hayes was out of the town that day, but Mark and Arthur both closely worked on this issue. Arizona DHS also conducted studies about Aspartame and found out that when aspartame is in carbonated beverages, it breaks down into free methanol in 99 degrees celcius. The amount of methanol that was produced concerned the DHS, which caused a discussion about the banning of aspartame.
May 7, 1985 the U.S senate heard a testimony about aspartame, which says that the quantity of aspartame used in the food product should be labelled, because it was impossible to determine how much aspartame the food product, people were consuming contained. On August 1, 1985 a bill called Aspartame Safety Act of 1985 was introduced, it was sent to a senate committee for approval, but it was denied. The following year in 1986 The Community Nutrition Institute filed suit against the FDA claiming that they didn't follow proper procedure in approving aspartame in beverages, and they should hold a public meeting before the final approval. On November 3, 1987 a hearing was held concerning Aspartame safety and labeling requirements.
In 1988 Aspartame under different marketing names were being introduced to the whole world, and in June 12, 1995 FDA stopped collecting reaction reports and the stopped the research about Aspartame. In 1996 Aspartame was suspected of being a brain tumor agent, because 4 - 13 years after approval there had been an increase of deadly brain tumors in areas where Aspartame was being sold.
In 1974 eight years after its discovery, aspartame was finally being sold in markets in the United States. G.D Searle, the company James M. Schlatter was working with, conducted tests concerning aspartame. They used rats to test if aspartame had side effects, and when they sent the informatin they have gathered to a biological research facility, a pathologist Dr. Jacqueline Mauro said that the compound induced tumors in the liver, testes and the thyroid of the rats.
Few months later this compound was suspended, because the FDA task force proved that G.D Searle didn't properly study this compund for various side effects, so in retaliation to this G.D Searle decided to hire the former member of the congress and the chief of staff in general ford administration, Donald Rumsfeld as their president to help in the approval of aspartame.
On January 21, 1981, the day after President Ronald Reagan took office as the president, G.D Searle tried once again for the approval of aspartame. After further studies about Aspartame, on July 18, 1981 aspartame was approved for use on dry foods by the FDA commissioner Arthur Hull Hayes Jr., seeing this as an opportunity, G.D Searle decided to propose the idea of using aspartame in soft drinks, and children's vitamins, and in 1983, Mark Novitch, the acting FDA commissioner, approved aspartame for use in carbonated drinks and carbonated beverage syrup bases, Mark Novitch was the person, who accepted this request, because Arthur Hull Hayes was out of the town that day, but Mark and Arthur both closely worked on this issue. Arizona DHS also conducted studies about Aspartame and found out that when aspartame is in carbonated beverages, it breaks down into free methanol in 99 degrees celcius. The amount of methanol that was produced concerned the DHS, which caused a discussion about the banning of aspartame.
May 7, 1985 the U.S senate heard a testimony about aspartame, which says that the quantity of aspartame used in the food product should be labelled, because it was impossible to determine how much aspartame the food product, people were consuming contained. On August 1, 1985 a bill called Aspartame Safety Act of 1985 was introduced, it was sent to a senate committee for approval, but it was denied. The following year in 1986 The Community Nutrition Institute filed suit against the FDA claiming that they didn't follow proper procedure in approving aspartame in beverages, and they should hold a public meeting before the final approval. On November 3, 1987 a hearing was held concerning Aspartame safety and labeling requirements.
In 1988 Aspartame under different marketing names were being introduced to the whole world, and in June 12, 1995 FDA stopped collecting reaction reports and the stopped the research about Aspartame. In 1996 Aspartame was suspected of being a brain tumor agent, because 4 - 13 years after approval there had been an increase of deadly brain tumors in areas where Aspartame was being sold.