Aspartame’s patents expired between the late 80’s and early 90’s. Current limits were set after that and have been reviewed as recently as 2024. I’m going to say that the ability to patent and monopolize aren’t really a factor since aspartame hasn’t been protected in over 30 years and a search to see who produces it returned an article listing the top 100 manufacturers of aspartame.
Al Bundy peaked in highschool, never went to college, was a shoe salesman at the mall. Al Bundy had an, at least, three bedroom single family home in a nice neighborhood, supported a family of four plus a dog on his single income, had ample free time to spend with family and friends and to spend on hobbies.
Al Bundy: Failure and constant butt of jokes in the 1980s, unobtainable vision of success in the 2020s
Someone who didn’t eat the Mona Lisa.
$100k is about the average household income in the US, the average single income is about $67k. So about a year and a half of the average wage. And median income is much lower (median household income is about $44k) indicating that high income households have a much larger effect on the average than low income households so the average middle class individual income should also be much lower than the average individual income.
You’re thinking of employment at will. Right to work laws prevent making payment of union dues a requirement for employment.
Did a quick search, in higher doses stevia may cause mutagenic effects and regulatory bodies initially classified it as safe over the objections of some researchers who say it needs more studies on this effect. Stevia also lowers blood pressure and can cause light headedness and fainting in larger doses. The effect on blood pressure is potentially fatal in small children and people with certain health complications.
In less refined forms stevia also carries a high risk of allergic reactions because it’s a form of ragweed but the stuff used as a dietary sweetener is highly refined so that shouldn’t effect the recommended limit.