INS 951 is the code for aspartame
An intense sweetener roughly 200 times as sweet as sugar, used in diet drinks, sugar-free desserts and chewing gum.
- What it does
- Sweetens it A sweetener
- Also printed as
- APM
- Vegetarian?
- Vegetarian Made chemically
- In the Zabel score
- 10 of the 20 additive points Method 1.0.0
- In our catalogue
- 21 packs List it in their ingredients
Is INS 951 vegetarian?
INS 951 is made chemically, so it does not by itself make a food non-vegetarian. The green or brown mark on the pack is still the declaration to go by, because it covers every other ingredient too.
| Food category | Share | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Sweets and candy | 60% | |
| Carbonated soft drinks | 30% | |
| Chips and crisps | 5% | |
| Other beverages | 5% |
Counted from the 21 packs in Zabel's catalogue that list INS 951, 20 of which have a food category so far. Counted 4 Nov 2026.
What does the evidence say about INS 951?
We grade an additive by the evidence about it, not by whether it sounds like a chemical, and we make no claim about whether a pack complies with FSSAI rules.
Classified by IARC in 2023 as Group 2B, possibly carcinogenic to humans, while the JECFA Acceptable Daily Intake of 40 mg/kg body weight was left unchanged - the two bodies answer different questions, hazard and dose. It contains phenylalanine and Indian labels must warn people with phenylketonuria. The WHO advises against non-sugar sweeteners for weight control.
Does Zabel mark INS 951 down?
Yes, by 10 points. The additives part of the score starts at 20, and each code takes off a fixed amount set by the strength of the evidence about it, not by the fact that it is an additive (method 1.0.0). Read the method.
Questions people search
What is INS 951?
INS 951 is the code for aspartame, a sweetener. An intense sweetener roughly 200 times as sweet as sugar, used in diet drinks, sugar-free desserts and chewing gum.
Is INS 951 vegetarian?
INS 951 is made chemically, so it does not by itself make a food non-vegetarian. The green or brown mark on the pack is still the declaration to go by, because it covers every other ingredient too.
What does the evidence say about INS 951?
Classified by IARC in 2023 as Group 2B, possibly carcinogenic to humans, while the JECFA Acceptable Daily Intake of 40 mg/kg body weight was left unchanged - the two bodies answer different questions, hazard and dose. It contains phenylalanine and Indian labels must warn people with phenylketonuria. The WHO advises against non-sugar sweeteners for weight control.
Does Zabel mark INS 951 down?
Yes, by 10 points. The additives part of the score starts at 20, and each code takes off a fixed amount set by the strength of the evidence about it, not by the fact that it is an additive (method 1.0.0).
What other names is INS 951 printed under?
Packs also print it as APM, or as the bare number 951 in brackets after the ingredient.
Sources
- 01 IARC Monographs Volume 134: Aspartame, methyleugenol and isoeugenol IARC / WHO, 2023
- 02 Evaluations of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) WHO / FAO, 2024
- 03 WHO guideline: Use of non-sugar sweeteners World Health Organization, 2023
- 04 Zabel catalogue - pack counts, food categories and the codes printed alongside 4 Nov 2026
Entry updated 19 Sep 2026 · Not reviewed by a dietitian yet · Report an error on this page
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