Finding the hidden sugar substitutes is a necessity. There are a few readers who are aware of the dubious nature of aspartame, but for those in doubt I suggest they read the excellent article by Chris Wheeler on the web under ‘Aspartame usage’. Aspartame and other similar sweeteners are common food ingredients, e.g. in diet drinks, diet meals and sugar-free foods, even found its way into chewing gum, children’s sweets and vitamins. For this reason, it is now essential to become a careful label reader. An added chore to the shopping experience, but a necessary one. A safer and valuable alternative to artificial sweeteners exists which has been largely hidden from the public for decades by industrial giants keen on promoting their own chemical creations such as aspartame and neotame.