Written question asked by Steve Brine (Conservative) on Wednesday, 4 May 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 9 May 2011. It was answered by Anne Milton (Conservative) on Tuesday, 10 May 2011 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Aspartame

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department plans to commission research to investigate a potential relationship between levels of aspartame consumption and adverse health reactions in children.

Answer: We are advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that aspartame has been extensively tested and reviewed for safety by independent experts at national, European and international level and found to be safe at current levels of use. Despite this, some people consider they react badly to consuming the sweetener. The FSA has therefore commissioned a pilot study focusing on people who have self-reported bad reactions to the sweetener in order to understand why this is the case. Participants in the study will be at least 18 but the results should be applicable to people of any age.

Secondary information