Chemical structure

Aspartame Timeline

By callire
  • Aspartame Discovered

    Aspartame Discovered

    In 1965, chemist James M. Schlatter accidentally discovered aspartame when he was working on an anti-ulcer drug for G.D. Searle & Company.
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    Searle Does R&D on Aspartame, comissions studies

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    FDA Commissioner Schmidt's Reign

  • FDA Comissioner Schmidt Approves Aspartame for Dry Goods

    Alexander Schmidt, the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, took the 168 Searle studies at face value and quickly processed the approval of aspartame—only thirty days were allotted for public comment before aspartame was officially approved for use in dry goods in 1974 (Cockburn, 63). This, in itself, is extremely problematic as it seems utterly irresponsible of the FDA commissioner to simply believe the Searle Corporation’s claims. Later, several medical professionals and activists have a

  • FDA Task Force Investigates Aspartame

  • FDA Places a Stay on Aspartame

    FDA Places a Stay on Aspartame

  • FDA Panel Investigates 15 of Searle's 168 Studies

  • Searle's Attornys Submit Documents to US Attorney General Skinner

  • US Attorney General Withdraws due to Conflict of Interests

    Skinner withdraws from the Searle grand jury investigation as he was seeking employment with the law firm that represented Searle. Major conflict of interests.
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    FDA Commissioner Kennedy's Reign

  • Donald Rumsfeld Joins Searle

    Donald Rumsfeld Joins Searle

    In May of 1977, Searle announces that Rumsfeld is now President and CEO. He acted as a consultant prior to his formal hiring.
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    Rumsfeld Works for Searle

  • FDA Panel Finds Inconsistencies

    FDA Panel Finds Inconsistencies

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    FDA Commissioner Jere Goyan's Reign

  • Public Board of Inquiry Calls to Ban Aspartame

  • Ronald Reagan Inaugurated

    Ronald Reagan Inaugurated

  • Searle Appeals Public Inquiry Decision

  • New Commissioner Hayes Approves Aspartame

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    FDA Commssioner Arthur Hull Hayes Reign

  • Hayes Approves Aspartame for Use in Liquids

    Hayes Approves Aspartame for Use in Liquids

  • Commissioner Hayes leaves FDA for job at Searle's PR agency

    source
    "FDA Commissioner Hayes resigns under a cloud of controversy about his taking unauthorized rides aboard a General Foods jet. (General foods is a major customer of NutraSweet) Burson-Marsteller, Searle's public relation firm (which also represented several of NutraSweet's major users), immediately hires Hayes as senior scientific consultant."
  • Rumsfeld Leaves Searle

    Rumsfeld Leaves Searle