China to Restrict Aspartame Production and Sale

12/07/06 By controlling production and banning the launch of new projects, China will exert more efforts to restrict the production and sale of aspartame, press reports said.

A circular issued by The National Development and Reform Commission (NDR), the State Administration for Industry and Commerce and the State Environmental Protection Administration highlighted their further strengthening of China’s work on restricting the sale and production of the widely-used sweetener.

State-designated aspartame producers shall in principle shift production to other products when moving to a new place, according to the circular. In addition, their reconstruction will not exceed the state designated one, if they decide to pursue their aspartame operations.

Presently, China has five designated aspartame manufacturers namely: Suzhou Fine Chemicals, Tianjin Northern Foodstuffs, Tianjin Changjie Chemical, Kaifeng Xinghua Chemical and Shanghai Fuxing Chemical, press reports said.

Reports concluded that the total aspartame production from the five producers was recorded at 22,850 tons in 2005, of which 19,300 tons was exported.