Neotame

E number E961INS 961CAS 165450-17-9

Used as a sweetener — Codex also lists it as flavour enhancer.

Neotame is an intense sweetener derived from aspartame, and between seven and thirteen thousand times as sweet as sugar. Because so little is needed, it does not require the phenylalanine warning that aspartame carries.

Where it is and isn’t permitted

Status of Neotame by jurisdiction. Every jurisdiction this site covers is listed, including those where the substance does not appear.
JurisdictionStatusScope and limitsCitation
United StatesFood and Drug AdministrationPermitted, with conditions21 CFR 172.829retrieved 2026-09-07
Codex AlimentariusCodex Alimentarius Commission / JECFAPermitted, with conditions

62 food categories

highest permitted level 1,000 mg/kg

Show every food category
  • 01.1.4 Flavoured Fluid Milk Drinks — 20 mg/kg
  • 01.3.2 Beverage whiteners — 65 mg/kg
  • 01.4.4 Cream analogues — 33 mg/kg
  • 01.5.2 Milk and cream powder analogues — 65 mg/kg
  • 01.7 Dairy-based desserts (e.g. pudding, fruit or flavoured yoghurt) — 100 mg/kg
  • 02.4 Fat-based desserts excluding dairy-based dessert products of food category 01.7 — 100 mg/kg
  • 03.0 Edible ices, including sherbet and sorbet — 100 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.1 Frozen fruit — 100 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.10 Fermented fruit products — 65 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.11 Fruit fillings for pastries — 100 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.12 Cooked fruit — 65 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.3 Fruit in vinegar, oil, or brine — 100 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.4 Canned or bottled (pasteurized) fruit — 33 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.5 — 70 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.6 Fruit-based spreads (e.g. chutney) excluding products of food category — 70 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.7 Candied fruit — 100 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.8 Fruit preparations, including pulp, purees, fruit toppings and coconut milk — 100 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.9 Fruit-based desserts, incl. fruit-flavoured water-based desserts — 100 mg/kg
  • 04.2.2.2 Dried vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweeds, and nuts and seeds — 33 mg/kg
  • 04.2.2.3 Vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), and seaweeds in vinegar, oil, brine, or soybean sauce — 10 mg/kg
  • 04.2.2.4 Canned or bottled (pasteurized) or retort pouch vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), and seaweeds — 33 mg/kg
  • 04.2.2.5 Vegetable (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweed, and nut and seed purees and spreads (e.g. peanut butter) — 33 mg/kg
  • 04.2.2.6 Vegetable (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweed, and nut and seed pulps and preparations (e.g. vegetable desserts and sauces, candied vegetables) other than food category 04.2.2.5 — 33 mg/kg
  • 04.2.2.7 Fermented vegetable (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera) and seaweed products, excluding fermented soybean products of food categories 06.8.6, 06.8.7, 12.9.1, — 33 mg/kg
  • 04.2.2.8 Cooked or fried vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), and seaweeds — 33 mg/kg
  • 05.1.2 Cocoa mixes (syrups) — 33 mg/kg
  • 05.1.3 Cocoa-based spreads, incl. fillings — 100 mg/kg
  • 05.1.4 Cocoa and chocolate products — 80 mg/kg
  • 05.1.5 Imitation chocolate, chocolate substitute products — 100 mg/kg
  • 05.2 Confectionery including hard and soft candy, nougats, etc. other than food categories 05.1, 05.3, and 05.4 — 330 mg/kg
  • 05.3 Chewing gum — 1,000 mg/kg
  • 05.4 Decorations (e.g. for fine bakery wares), toppings (non-fruit), and sweet sauces — 100 mg/kg
  • 06.3 Breakfast cereals, including rolled oats — 160 mg/kg
  • 06.5 Cereal and starch based desserts (e.g. rice pudding, tapioca pudding) — 33 mg/kg
  • 07.1 Bread and ordinary bakery wares and mixes — 70 mg/kg
  • 07.2 Fine bakery wares (sweet, salty, savoury) and mixes — 80 mg/kg
  • 09.3 Semi-preserved fish and fish products, including molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms — 10 mg/kg
  • 09.4 Fully preserved, including canned or fermented fish and fish products, including molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms — 10 mg/kg
  • 10.4 Egg-based desserts (e.g. custard) — 100 mg/kg
  • 11.4 Other sugars and syrups (e.g. xylose, maple syrup, sugar toppings) — 70 mg/kg
  • 11.6 Table-top sweeteners, including those containing high-intensity sweeteners — GMP
  • 12.2.2 Seasonings and condiments — 32 mg/kg
  • 12.3 Vinegars — 12 mg/kg
  • 12.4 Mustards — 12 mg/kg
  • 12.5 Soups and broths — 20 mg/kg
  • 12.6.1 Emulsified sauces and dips (e.g. mayonnaise, salad dressing, onion dips) — 65 mg/kg
  • 12.6.2 Non-emulsified sauces (e.g. ketchup, cheese sauce, cream sauce, brown gravy) — 70 mg/kg
  • 12.6.3 Mixes for sauces and gravies — 12 mg/kg
  • 12.6.4 Clear sauces (e.g. fish sauce) — 12 mg/kg
  • 12.7 Salads (e.g. macaroni salad, potato salad) and sandwich spreads excluding cocoa-and nut-based spreads of food categories 04.2.2.5 and 05.1.3 — 33 mg/kg
  • 13.3 Dietetic foods intended for special medical purposes (excluding products of food category 13.1) — 33 mg/kg
  • 13.4 Dietetic formulae for slimming purposes and weight reduction — 33 mg/kg
  • 13.5 Dietetic foods (e.g. supplementary foods for dietary use) excluding products of food categories — 65 mg/kg
  • 13.6 Food supplements — 90 mg/kg
  • 14.1.3.1 Fruit nectar — 65 mg/kg
  • 14.1.3.2 Vegetable nectar — 65 mg/kg
  • 14.1.3.3 Concentrates for fruit nectar — 65 mg/kg
  • 14.1.3.4 Concentrates for vegetable nectar — 65 mg/kg
  • 14.1.4 Water-based flavoured drinks, including "sport," “energy,” or "electrolyte" drinks and particulated drinks — 33 mg/kg
  • 14.1.5 Coffee, coffee substitutes, tea, herbal infusions, and other hot cereal and grain beverages, excluding cocoa — 50 mg/kg
  • 14.2.7 Aromatized alcoholic beverages (e.g. beer, wine and spirituous cooler-type beverages, low-alcoholic refreshers) — 33 mg/kg
  • 15.0 Ready-to-eat savouries — 32 mg/kg
CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 961and 61 further provisionsretrieved 2026-09-07

What it is made from

Made by reacting aspartame with 3,3-dimethylbutyraldehyde. That added group blocks the enzyme that would otherwise release phenylalanine during digestion, which is why the warning is not required despite the shared starting material.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
CAS registry number
165450-17-9
InChIKey
HLIAVLHNDJUHFG-HOTGVXAUSA-N
PubChem
CID 9810996

Every name it appears under

31 recorded names. A label may use any of them.

E number

  • E961

INS number

  • 961

CAS registry number

  • 165450-17-9

As it appears in regulation

  • Neotame

Other names

  • E 961
  • HSDB 7965
  • INS NO.961
  • INS-961
  • L-Phenylalanine, N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-alpha-aspartyl-, 2-methyl ester
  • L-Phenylalanine, N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-|A-aspartyl-, 2-methyl ester
  • L-PHENYLALANINE, N-(N-(3,3-DIMETHYLBUTYL)-L-.ALPHA.-ASPARTYL)-1-METHYL ESTER
  • methyl N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-alpha-aspartyl-L-phenylalaninate
  • MIRASEE 200
  • N-(N-(3,3-DIMETHYLBUTYL)-L-.ALPHA.-ASPARTYL)-L-PHENYLALANINE 1-METHYL ESTER
  • N-(N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-alpha-aspartyl)-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester
  • N-[N-(3,3-Dimethylbutyl)-L-a-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester
  • N-[N-(3,3-dimethylbutyl)-L-alpha-aspartyl]-L-phenylalanine methyl ester
  • N-boc amino alc
  • Neotame
  • Neotame (Excipient)
  • Neotame (Standard)
  • Neotame 1000 microg/mL in Water
  • Neotame, analytical standard
  • Neutame.

Systematic names

  • (3S)-3-(3,3-dimethylbutylamino)-4-[[(2S)-1-methoxy-1-oxo-3-phenylpropan-2-yl]amino]-4-oxobutanoic acid
  • (3S)-3-(3,3dimethylbutylamino)-4-[[(2S)-1-methoxy-1-oxo-3-phenylpropan-2-yl]amino]-4-oxobutanoic acid
  • (3S)-3-[(3,3-dimethylbutyl)amino]-3-{[(2S)-1-methoxy-1-oxo-3-phenylpropan-2-yl]carbamoyl}propanoic acid
  • (3S)-4-[[(1S)-1-benzyl-2-methoxy-2-oxo-ethyl]amino]-3-(3,3-dimethylbutylamino)-4-oxo-butanoic acid
  • (S)-3-((3,3-Dimethylbutyl)amino)-4-(((S)-1-methoxy-1-oxo-3-phenylpropan-2-yl)amino)-4-oxobutanoic acid
  • (S)-3-((3,3-Dimethylbutyl)amino)-4-(((S)-1-methoxy-1-oxo-3-phenylpropan-2-yl)amino)-4-oxobutanoicacid
  • 3-((3,3-dimethylbutyl)amino)-3-((1-methoxy-1-oxo-3-phenylpropan-2-yl)carbamoyl)propanoic acid

Hazard reference values

Values set by assessing bodies. A body that has not set a value is not listed here.
TypeValuePopulationAssessed byOpinion
ADI2 mg/kg bw/dayconsumersEFSAnot identified in the dataset

Evidence and how bodies read it

Studies, and the differing conclusions regulators drew from them, are curated by hand rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.

Sources for this page

  • ecfr retrieved 2026-09-07
  • gsfa retrieved 2026-09-07

Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.

Machine-readable:/api/v1/additives/neotame.json