Measurement and Stability of Aspartame in a Fruit Spread

Abstract A procedure was developed for extraction and quantitation of aspartame from a fruit spread. Quantitation was by HPLC using a reverse phase column with ion pairing and detection at 260 nm. Coefficients of variation for paired extractions at different aspartame levels ranged from 2.7 to 7.1. The standard curve prepared in fruit media had R 2 values of 0.98 or 0.99 (p ≥ .01). The method was applied in a 6-month storage trial of an aspartame sweetened apricot spread (pH 3.2). Aspartame storage losses were modeled as a first order reaction with an average half life of 168 days.