Ingredient Listed on Pepsi Max

Question: My name is Debbie, and I have only got the 2nd edition of The Chemical Maze.There is an ingredient in it that I am unable to find it is Phenylketonurics. As there is no sugar in this soft drink I can only assume it is used as a sweetener. Would you be able to clarify if it is another toxic chemical? Would appreciate if you could please e-mail me on this.

Answer: Hi Debbie and thanks for your email. Phenylketonurics is not an ingredient but defines individuals who suffer from phenylketonuria. These are people who are unable to metabolise the amino acid phenylalanine. Phenylalanine is a component of the artificial sweetener aspartame (951). Products containing aspartame are required to display a warning ‘contains phenylalanine’. In some countries such as Australia, the word aspartame and the code 951, may not appear on the label, but the phrase ‘Phenylketonurics: Contains Phenylalanine’ appears instead. I consider this to be deceptive, because people who wish to avoid aspartame for reasons other than phenylketonuria may not know that a product contains aspartame if it is not listed on the label. For more information on aspartame (951) see The Chemical Maze.

Kind regards, Bill Statham .

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