Toxic Artificial Sweetener ‘Neotame’ May Be Lurking in Your Organic Food

Toxic Artificial Sweetener ‘Neotame’ May Be Lurking in Your Organic...

NaturalSociety
February 10, 2012

Often marketed as Equal and Nutrasweet, aspartame is a well known neurotoxic sweetener used in many food products. This cancer-causing artificial sweetener is threatening the health of populations worldwide and has even been found to be created using genetically modified bacteria. While most individuals know about aspartame and its dangers, there is another, lesser known sweetener in the food supply that many people don’t know about – Neotame.

Neotame: An Unknown Artificial Sweetener Lurking in Your Food

Introduced by biotech giant Monsanto, Neotame was created as a new sweetener and flavor enhancer to be used in food products. On July 9, 2002, the United States Food and Drug Administration decided that Neotame’s safety and functionality made it available for consumption, thus resulting in its approval. What’s concerning is, while Neotame has a similar structure to aspartame, the chemicals used in its manufacturing process seem to make the sweetener even more toxic than aspartame.

Both aspartame and Neotame are made up of substances which metabolize into a highly toxic poison known as formaldehyde. In addition, they contain an exctiotoxic amino acid that agitates, thereby damaging nerves. Although very similar to aspartame in chemical structure, Neotame has one chemical added that aspartame does not possess – 3-dimethylbutyl, which just so happens to be on the Environmental Protection Agency’s most hazardous chemical list.

HolisticMed reports:

Neotame has similar structure to aspartame — except that, from it’s structure, appears to be even more toxic than aspartame. This potential increase in toxicity will make up for the fact that less will be used in diet drinks. Like aspartame, some of the concerns include gradual neurotoxic and immunotoxic damage from the combination of the formaldehyde metabolite (which is toxic at extremely low doses) and the excitotoxic amino acid.

Neotame’s manufacturing process involves combining aspartame with 3,3-dimethylbutyraldehyde, a chemical categorized as a highly flammable irritant. The largest argument for the use of this sweetener as well as aspartame is that they battle against obesity, but it is well known that sweeteners like aspartame actually lead to obesity.

The worst part? Even if you wanted to avoid this sweetener, you may find it impossible to do so. Not only are there no labeling rules for Neotame, but it is even included in the USDA certified organic food.

So what is the solution? If you are trying to avoid Neotame, the best thing to do is buy all organic items that have no or very little ingredients. The less ingredients, the less chance Neotame could be hiding out. Given the history behind Monsanto and its other creations - Agent Orange, Roundup, and GMO crops – it seems quite clear that their Neotame is no exception for consumption.