PepsiCo has decided that aspartame, a neuro-toxin used in their diet cola products as a sweetener, is not “sweet enough” and are “testing a new mix of artificial sweeteners” that will retain its potency longer than high fructose corn syrup.
The new mixture of sweeteners being tested includes acesulfame-potassium, or ace-K. The problem PepsiCo has with aspartame is that it is affected negatively in warm conditions that occur during shipping before their soda products arrive in retail stores.
In 1998, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of ace-K despite its known safety dangers. This chemical is most popularly used in baked goods, chewing gum and gelatin desserts according to the food safety advocacy group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Ace-K, or acesulfame potassium, is a lab-created chemical that is 200 times sweeter than sucrose. Ace-K is suspected through research to have carcinogenic properties, yet this studied fact was dismissed and further studies were not conducted prior to the FDA approval.
In testing preformed on rats, ace-K was shown to stimulate dose-dependent insulin secretion. In further studies, ace-K provided more of a danger to male rats, than female rats with regard to their signal toward being cancer producing.
The chemical has a very strong after taste. To combat this phenomenon, Kraft Foods began using sodium ferulate to mask its bitterness.
Aspartame has been proven to be highly addictive because it causes actual cravings for the toxin. Many find that they cannot stop using the product because of the severe withdrawal symptoms.
Aspartic acid, also known as aspartate, acts as a neurotransmitter in your brain. It facilitates the transmission of information from neuron to neuron. Excessive amounts of aspartate in your brain kills neurons by permitting the invasion of massive amounts of calcium into the cells. This influx generates extreme levels of free radicals that kill the cells. The neural cell damage is caused by unwarranted use of aspartate. This is why they are denoted as “excitotoxins.” They “excite” or arouse the neural cells to death.
Back in March, rather than change labels to admit to poisoning their customers, PepsiCo altered their recipe by removing 4-methylimidazole (4-MI or 4-MEI), a known carcinogen, from their formula in soft drink products.
In 2011, mainstream media reported that certain brands of PepsiCo soft drinks contained a patented flame retardant used in plastics to keep carbonated drinks from becoming combustible. Over exposure to the toxin could lead to the necessity of medical attention for “skin lesions, memory loss and nerve disorders.”
A report from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy stated that processed foods and beverages may contain mercury that was part of the process of deriving high fructose corn syrup. The FDA failed to make this independent study effective by acknowledging its findings.
Mercury impairs neurological development, as well as has a dramatic effect on the human nervous system. In children, mercury exposure manifests as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Shockingly, PepsiCo have never denied their use of the deadly additive aspartame, nor its link to cancer. They stated publicly that the findings from scientific studies were untrue; essentially ignoring the fault and responsibility of their company to offer a product that did not endanger the health of the public. By denying the facts, their validity does not diminish.
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