aspartame
[ ah-SPAHR-taym; AS-pahr-taym ]
An
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER that's 180-200 times sweeter than sugar. It's synthesized from two amino acids(aspartic acid and phenylalanine), the building blocks of protein, and contains about 4 calories per gram. Regular aspartame breaks down and loses its sweetness when heated but is excellentfor sweetening cold dishes. A new encapsulated (and therefore heat-stable) form of this sweetener has been developed especially for baking. At this writing, however, it's not available to consumers. See also
ACESULFAME-K;
ALITAME;
SACCHARIN;
SUCRALOSE.
© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD LOVER'S
COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.
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