Aspartame--a sweet surprise

The dipeptide ester L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester (APM) has been found to have a remarkably clean, sucrose-like taste with no off flavor and a potency 150-200 times sucrose. Subsequent work has shown that many alpha-amides of L-aspartic acid are sweet. Some results of stability studies and a taste panel evaluation of APM are reported.