Aspartame (E951)

Description

1. Product Overview
   Aspartame (E951) is a high-intensity dipeptide-based artificial sweetener widely used as a low-calorie sugar substitute in food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical manufacturing. Its primary industrial use is to deliver sugar-like sweetness at extremely low inclusion rates, enabling calorie reduction, taste formulation, and cost-efficient sweetness replacement in formulated products. Key value propositions include high sweetness potency (approximately 200× sucrose), predictable formulation behavior, and regulatory acceptance across major markets when used within recommended limits. Strategically, Aspartame enables customer-facing product differentiation (reduced-calorie and sugar-free claims) while lowering formulation weight and ingredient cost per sweetness unit—critical for consumer-packaged-goods manufacturers, contract manufacturers, and suppliers focusing on health and regulatory trends.

2. Key Specifications & Technical Characteristics

• Chemical name: L‑α‑aspartyl‑L‑phenylalanine methyl ester (Aspartame); CAS: 22839-47-0

• Synonym/Code: Aspartame, E951

• Chemical formula: C14H18N2O5

• Purity/grade: Food-grade / Industrial food additive standard; typical assay ≥ 98.0–99.5% (batch certificate provided)

• Identity & compliance: Conforms to FCC/JP/EP/USP specifications where applicable; compliant with Codex Alimentarius limits and E-number regulations in applicable jurisdictions (supplier documentation supplied)

• Physical form: White to off-white crystalline powder or granules

• Particle size: Typical D50 in range 50–250 µm (custom milling available on request)

• Bulk density: Typical 500–650 kg/m3 (packed)

• Moisture content: ≤ 2.0% (typical; specification to be agreed in contract)

• Solubility: Readily soluble in water; hydrolytically sensitive at elevated temperature and pH extremes (formulation guidance available)

• Stability/shelf life: Standard shelf life 24 months when stored in original sealed packaging at controlled conditions (cool, dry, <25°C, <60% RH); shorter shelf life for premixed or reworked blends may apply

• Packaging options: 25 kg multi-wall paper sacks with PE liner; 500 kg and 1000 kg FIBCs (bulk bags); palletized and shrink-wrapped; ISO tank/truck for liquid blends not applicable (solid product)

• Documentation: Certificate of Analysis (CoA), Safety Data Sheet (SDS), allergen declaration, GMP statement, and regulatory dossiers available on request

3. Core Industrial Applications

• Food & Beverage: Sweetening agent for soft drinks, powdered beverage mixes, tabletop sweeteners, confectionery, dairy desserts, and baked goods (where thermal exposure is controlled). Enables calorie-reduction claims and reformulation for sugar-reduced product lines.

• Pharmaceutical & Nutraceutical: Taste-masking in chewable tablets, syrups, lozenges, and sachets, improving patient compliance for low-dosage APIs.

• Contract Manufacturing & Private Label: Allows brand owners and co-packers to deliver consistent low-calorie products at scale with predictable cost-per-sweetness metrics.

• Specific operational use cases: Inclusion at low ppm levels for beverages; spray-drying integration for powdered mixes; dry blending with bulking agents (e.g., maltodextrin, erythritol) for tabletop or sachet formats.

• Performance vs alternatives: Compared with high-potency alternatives (e.g., sucralose, stevia), Aspartame offers a cleaner sugar-like temporal profile and lower aftertaste at equivalent sweetness in many formulations. Compared to bulk sweeteners (sucrose, HFCS), Aspartame delivers large reductions in caloric load and logistics/packaging cost per sweetness unit due to very low inclusion rates.

4. Competitive Advantages

• Quality consistency: Tight batch-to-batch assay control, full CoA traceability, and adherence to recognized pharmacopeial/food standards.

• Supply reliability: Long-term inventory management, forecast-driven production scheduling, and priority allocation for contracted partners to minimize stockouts.

• Logistics capability: Export-ready packaging, experience with cold-chain-avoidance handling, consolidated container loading, and customs documentation support for global shipping.

• Price competitiveness: Low cost-per-sweetness-unit reduces ingredient spend versus bulk sweeteners; flexible pricing and volume discounts for contracted volumes.

• Sustainability: Efficient supply chain footprint per sweetness delivered (lower raw-material mass transported vs bulk sugar), supplier sustainability statements available; options for supplier audits.

• Technical support: Application guidance (stability, pH/temperature limitations), formulation trials, CoA/SDS access, and regulatory support documentation to assist market registration and labeling.

5. Commercial & Supply Information

• Minimum order quantity (MOQ): BULK 20 MT

• Loading capacity (MT per container): Typical 20 ft container capacity up to 20 MT (packaged in 25 kg sacks or FIBCs depending on packing configuration); 40 ft container capacity up to 24–25 MT subject to palletization and weight limits.

• Lead times: Standard lead time 4–8 weeks from order confirmation depending on quantity and destination (expedited options subject to confirmation).

• Incoterms & payment: Standard commercial terms available on request; export documentation and third-party inspection options available.