Aspartame free chewing gum is a relatively new concept that has gained in value with the recent decision of the World Health Organization (WHO) [1]. Aspartame was classified for the first time by the IARC [2] as Group 2B, i.e. “potentially carcinogenic to humans”. Food companies and their associations try to downplay this, but aspartame is already in that classification. Nobody is going to do anything about it. So join us in finding out what aspartame is and why you should cut it out of your diet? Why should you chew aspartame-free chewing gum?
Why aspartame is used by manufacturers | Why aspartame-free chewing gum | How to avoid aspartame | Which aspartame-free chewing gum to choose
Aspartame Free Chewing Gum
Aspartame free chewing gum (E951) is not a novelty. People already knew about them, but only a really small handful of people. People who are very active and interested in what the manufacturers produce and what the food is made of and what the ingredients are. I firmly believe that the WHO decision will change the habits of people who chew daily. People will start to ask questions and also look at the ingredients on the packaging of goods.
Why Aspartame is so widely used by Producers
Commonly available chewing gums contain the substance aspartame in 2023 and for the past many decades. This is because it is one of the most widely used artificial sweeteners nowadays. This sweetener is 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is very effective for manufacturers to use it in food and beverages because a very small amount is very effective.
Why Aspartame Free Chewing Gum?
Why even bother with the fact that there are healthy chewing gum without aspartame? Aspartame (E951) is an artificial sweetener that has long been labelled as having the highest level of harmfulness and is unsuitable for children [3] [4]. This was confirmed on July 14, 2023 thanks to a decision by the WHO and IARC to classify aspartame as a “potential human carcinogen“. It is of course up to each of you what you take from these facts. If you chew gum once a month, there is no need to address the fact that your chewing gum contains aspartame. But if you chew more often or your children do, we recommend looking for chewing gum that does not contain aspartame.
How to avoid aspartame? It’s simple
It is quite common for aspartame to be found in chewing gum, lozenges (candies), loose drinks, desserts, yoghurt, tea, breakfast cereals, puddings, mayonnaise, pickled vegetables and fruit and other foods. If you want to avoid or reduce your consumption of aspartame, you need to be a bit proactive, as there is a large variety of foods and drinks that contain aspartame. It is reported that there are 6000 foods and drinks. In reality, this is only a kind of estimate. But you only need to look at the ones you consume most often. Turn the food over, look at the ingredients. Check the aspartame content and, if necessary, adjust the diet for yourself and your children. We are here to guide you in choosing the right aspartame-free chewing gum. What should such a chewing gum look like? What should the ingredients be? Is it enough to be aspartame-free?
Which Aspartame Free Chewing Gum to choose
Which aspartame-free chewing gum to choose? It’s simple. Of course, it’s not just a matter of having aspartame-free chewing gum. To really make the most of the health benefits of chewing gum, look for sugar-free chewing gums sweetened with xylitol (or stevia (E960) [5], erythritol (E968) [6]), and very importantly, make sure they don’t contain these other controversial ingredients:
- artificial sweetener acesulfame K (E950) [harm score 4] [7],sk
- the common food additive titanium dioxide (E171) [Harm Score 4] [8],
- the artificial sweetener sorbitol (E420) [Harm Score 3] [9],
- Hormone disruptors and carcinogens BHA (E320) and BHT (E321) [Harm Score 3] [10, 11],
- dyes:
If you face it head on, you will have healthy teeth with chewing gum that does not contain controversial ingredients. Nothing needs to be exaggerated, but you only care about your health. Take care of him.
Reference
- 1) Decision of the World Health Organization (WHO) – aspartame belongs to Group 2B, i.e. among potentially carcinogenic substances for humans – https://www.who.int/news/item/14-07-2023-aspartame-hazard-and-risk-assessment-results-released
- 2) IARC – International Agency for Research on Cancer – https://www.iarc.who.int/
- 3) Aspartame (E951) – artificial sweetener with the highest level of harm and unsuitability for children – non-profit organisation FÉR potravina – https://www.ferpotravina.cz/seznam-ecek/E951
- 4) Healthline – link to article on chewing gum and its benefits – information on aspartame is drawn – https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/chewing-gum-good-or-bad
- 5) Stevia (E960) – link to steviol glycosides with a harm score of 0 classified as safe – https://www.ferpotravina.cz/seznam-ecek/E960
- 6) Erythritol (E968) – reference to sugar alcohol with a harmfulness score of 0 – https://www.ferpotravina.cz/seznam-ecek/E968
- 7) Acesulfame K (E950) – link to the harmfulness rating on ferpotravina.cz – https://www.ferpotravina.cz/seznam-ecek/E950
- 8) Titanium Dioxide (E171) – a common food additive used for whitening and smooth texture – https://www.ferpotravina.cz/seznam-ecek/E171
- 9) Sorbitol (E420) – an artificial sweetener used to replace conventional sugar for diabetics – https://www.ferpotravina.cz/seznam-ecek/E420
- 10) BHA (E320) – Butylhydroxytoluene – antioxidant, food preservative – https://www.ferpotravina.cz/seznam-ecek/E320
- 11) BHT (E321) – Bulylhydroxyanisole – antioxidant, food preservative – https://www.ferpotravina.cz/seznam-ecek/E321
- 12) Carminic Acid (Carmine/Coseline) (E120) – natural red colour – https://www.ferpotravina.cz/seznam-ecek/E120
- 13) Brilliant Blue FCF (E133) – bright blue synthetic dye – https://www.ferpotravina.cz/seznam-ecek/E133
- 14) Allura Red AC (E129) – synthetic colouring agent that adds colour but also a fruity taste to food – https://www.ferpotravina.cz/seznam-ecek/E129