New Mexico Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino writes to FDA Acting Commissioner Torti: "Take Aspartame off the Market," based on his New Mexico Resolution and even stronger Bills to Ban Aspartame in both houses of the Hawaii Legislature, to protect consumers

New Mexico Senate 
Santa Fe, New Mexico

The Honorable Frank Torti, M.D. February 12, 2009 
Acting Commissioner, United States Food and Drug Administration 
5400 Fisher’s Lane 
Rockville, Maryland 

Dear Dr. Torti: 

I am the New Mexico sponsor of the enclosed Senate Memorial 9, 2009, asking 
the Food and Drug Administration to rescind its approval for the artificial 
sweetener, aspartame. 

You may know that the FDA, to its credit, turned down G.D. Searle’s 
application for aspartame’s approval from 1966 to 1981, at which point, 
approval was forced through the FDA at the insistence fo Searle’s CEO, 
Donald Rumsfeld. 

Numerous physicians’ petitions as well as many private petitions have been 
filed with FDA since 1981 asking for the rescinding of aspartame’s approval. 
These have all been routinely ignored and responded to with industry 
assurance about how many industry financed "tests" aspartame has been 
through, all of which showed "aspartame to be safe." 

FDA used to keep records on consumer complaints on aspartame, accruing a 
minimum of 92 alleged symptoms from ingesting aspartame, ranging from 
headaches, blurred vision, skin rashes, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis to 
that ultimate symptom, DEATH. 

Dr. Torti, this chemical has produced a massive mountain of medical and 
neurodengenerative evidence, which I believe would lead you to order it 
removed from the market. While it is too late to do this now as 
a "precaution"; it is even more imperative to do this as a means of 
preventing further medical harm to future victims. 

This Memorial is advancing in the New Mexico Senate, after being cosponsored 
by ten of my colleagues. A similar version of the Memorial has also been 
introduced by Hawaii Senator Chun Oakland, and is cosponsored by ten 
members of the Hawaii Senate. That resolution will create an evidentiary 
repository for Hawaii victims, especially those with diabetes and epileptic 
seizures, now statistically epidemic in Hawaii, with links to aspartame. 

In January 2009, Hawaii Senator Kalani English introduced SB576 in that 
state. It would ban aspartame entirely in Hawaii. This bill is cosponsored 
by an astonishing 14 members of the 25 member Hawaii Senate. At the same 
time, Representative Mele Carroll has introduced HB669, also banning 
aspartame’s sale and use in Hawaii. 

I realize a permanent FDA Commissioner has not yet been selected by the 
Obama Administration, but when one is appointed, I will send a similar 
letter to him/her to again request this action in order to protect the 
American public from further harm from a chemical that the FDA has known for 
43 years is metabolized as methanol, formaldehyde, aspartic acid, 
phenylalanine, and the proven carcinogen, diketopiperazine. 

This regulatory failure of epic proportions entirely resulted from the 
actions of Donald Rumsfeld when he was with the original patent holder for 
aspartame. There is sufficient evidence to warrant such a rescinding, a 
situation not unlike that in 1969 when President Richard Nixon similarly 
ordered the FDA to take away the approval for another group of carcinogens, 
cyclamates, which occurred very quickly. 

Our concern must be the overarching concerns of preventing further 
neurodengenerative and carcinogenic damage to hundreds of millions of 
Americans, who have no other government entity to trust and depend on than 
the United State Food and drug Administration! 

I believe that President Obama, Congressman Bart Stupak, and Congresswoman 
Rosa Delauro all want to see the rebuilding of an FDA that merits the 
restored trust of the American people. I certainly want to see this come 
about, and I hope you do as well. 

Rescinding aspartame’s FDA approval would be a major credible first step in 
the right direction. 

Sincerely yours, 

Gerald Ortiz y Pino 
New Mexico State Senator 
District 12 
Albuquerque