ASPARTAME

The best-selling artificial sweetener in America wasn’t the product of years of dedicated research by teams of researchers who were seeking a healthy non-sugar substitute. It was an accident, a clumsy laboratory slip up.

James Schlatter, Ph.D. was conducting research for the G. D. Searle Company on a drug designed to treat ulcers. He mixed a substance in a container with methanol (wood alcohol). A little accidentally spilled on his finger. When Dr. Schlatter licked his finger to pick up a piece of paper, he noticed a strong sweet taste. Thus, aspartame was created.

Unknown to the general public, the company that manufactures aspartame has been accused of providing falsified test results to the FDA and even unethical deal making with prosecutors from the United States Attorney Generals Office. All the while, reports of adverse patient reactions including headaches, memory loss and seizures, and even confirmed deaths continue to mount while these reports are being kept from the general public.

In 1994, the Department of Health and Human Services Report on Adverse Reactions attributed thousands of complaints concerning aspartame from the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control. Currently, aspartame accounts for over 75% of all complaints in the Adverse Reaction Monitoring System.

If you continue to use aspartame on a regular basis, then you are committed to "suicide on the installment plan." Avoid aspartame at all costs.

NOTES ON ASPARTAME

1. L. Stegink, L. J. Filer, Kr., "Aspartame." Marcel Dekker, Inc. (1989).

2. G. D. Searle Company, Confidential internal memorandum, titled "Food and Drug Administration and other Drug Sweetener Strategy." Documents supplied by Senator Howard Metzenbaum’s office (December 28, 1970).

3. Steadman’s Medical Dictionary, 25^th edition 9Baltimore, MD: William and William, 1990.

4. R. J. Louis, Sax’s Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials, Eighth Edition (New York: Van Nostrand Reimhold, 1992), 2251-2252.

5. W. Monte, "Aspartame: Methanol and Public Health." J Appl Nutr 36:42-54, 1984.

6. See D. Thomas-Dobersen, "Calculation of Aspartame Intake in Children," Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 89 (6): 831-833 (1989) and Federal Register 44:31716-31718 (June 1, 1979).

7. Federal Register 38:5921 (march 5, 1973).

8. Federal Register 39:27317 (July 25, 1985).

9. See Federal Register 46:38285 (July 24, 1981) and U,S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Mo. 84-1153. Community Nutrition Institute, et al., Petitioners v Dr. Mark Novitch. Acting Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, Respondent. G. D. Searle Co., Inventor, Petition for Review of an Order of the Food and Drug Administration. No. 84-5253 Community Nutrition Institute, et al., Appellants v Dr. Mark Novitch, Acting Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, Appellee (September 24, 1985).

10. See documents supplied by Senator Howard Metzenbaum’s office in February 6, 1986, and Federal Register 40:56907 (December 5, 1975).

11. Food and Drug Administration Searle Investigation Task Force chaired by Carlton Sharp. "Final Report of Investigation Review of G. D. Searle Company" (March 24, 1976).

12. Federal Register 44:31716-31718 (June 1, 1979).

13. H. J. Roberts, "New Perspectives Concerning Alzheimer’s Disease," On Call, August 1989.

14. Letter from Richard A. Merrill, Chief Counsel, Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Food and Drug Administration, to Honorable Samuel K Skinner, U.S. Attorney, Northern District of Illinois, requesting that Skinner’s office convene a Grand Jury investigation into G. D. Searle Co. for submitting false reports, dated January 10, 1977.

15. Letter from Howard J. Trienens, Sidley & Austin, to Samuel K. Skinner, U.S. Attorney, Northern District of Illinois (January 26, 1977).

16. Documents supplied by Senator Howard Metzenbaum’s office (February 6, 1986).

17. Confidential memorandum from Samuel K. Skinner U.S. Attorney, Northern District of Illinois, to William Conlon and Fred Branding. Document supplied by Senator Howard Metzenbaum’s office (March 8, 1977).

18. Memorandum from Charles P Kocoras, First Assistant U.S. Attorney, to Samuel J Skinner, U.S. Attorney, regarding the G. D. Searle Company (April 13, 1977).

19. Documents supplied by Senator Howard Metzenbaum’s office (February 6, 1986).

20. Food and Drug Administration, J. Bressler, "The Bressler Report, investigation of Searle Laboratories") August 7, 1977).

21. See Memorandum from Bureau of Foods Task Force, Food and Drug Administration, to Howard R Roberts, Ph.D., Acting Director, Bureau of Foods, regarding "Authentication Review of Data in Reports Submitted to the Food and Drug Administration Concerning Aspartame" (September 28, 1977); U.S. General Accounting Office’s "Briefing Report to the Honorable Howard Metzenbaum, U.S. Senate: Food and Drug Administration. Food Additive Approval Process Followed for Aspartame," GAO/HRD-87-46, Common Cause (June 1987).

22. Federal Register 44:31716-31718 (June 1, 1979).

23. See Food and Drug Administration Public Board of Inquiry, W. J. H. Nauta, P. W. Lampert, V. R. Young, "Aspartame" (Docket No. 75F-0355).

24. See Committee on Labor and Human Resources, "NutraSweet-Health and Safety Concerns, Hearing before the Committee on Labor and Human Resources, U.S. Senate, One Hundredth Congress, First Session on Examining the Health and Safety Concerns of NutraSweet (Aspartame)" (November 3, 1987; and Federal Register 46:50947 (October 16, 1981).

25. Centers for Disease Control, Division of Nutrition, Center for Health Promotion and Education, "Evaluation of Consumer Complaints Related to Aspartame Use" (November 1984).

26. Department of Health and Human Services, Health and Injury-Related Surveillance Subprogram Postmarketing Surveillance System, "Quarterly Report on Adverse Reactions Associated with Aspartame Ingestion," submitted to Health Hazards Evaluation Board (January 2, 1987).

27. See Food and Drug Administration Department of Health and Human Services, "Quarterly Report on Adverse Reactions Associated with Aspartame Ingestion" (October 1, 1988); and Department of Health and Human Services, "Report on All Adverse Reactions in the Adverse Reaction Monitoring System" (February 25 and 28, 1992).

28. R.G. Walton, "Seizure and Mania After High Intake of Aspartame," Psychosomatics (March 1986).

29. C. Gaffney, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, "Aspartame in the Aerospace Medical Association (April 1986).