Aspartame: These foods contain aspartame (E951)

Aspartame is used as an artificial sweetener in food and drink to provide sweetness with little or no calorific value. It is added to products such as soft drinks, yoghurt, chewing gum, desserts, and sugar-free sweets.

The substance is produced by combining two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, which naturally occur in protein-rich foods.

This compound provides a sweetness around 200 times stronger than sugar, but without a corresponding energy content.

Foods containing aspartame are considered ultra-processed because it is a synthetically produced sweetener used to mimic sweetness and reduce calories.

A controversial additive that has been researched for several decades. Some studies, both on animals and humans, have shown an increased risk of cancer. However, these studies have been questioned by the food industry and certain food authorities, which point to other studies that do not show an increased risk.

Sources: Wikipedia and Center for Science in the Public Interest