Why do products containing NutraSweet have “Phenylketonurics: Contains Phenylalanine” on the label?
NutraSweet is a registered trademark for aspartame, a nutritive sweetener used as a sugar substitute. Aspartame is a combination of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Individuals with phenylketonuria, a disorder caused by the inability to metabolize phenylalanine in the body, must carefully monitor the amount of phenylalanine in their diets. The warning label alerts these individuals to the presence of the amino acid.