Phenylalanie ndi amino acid wofunikira ndipo ndiye kalambulabwalo wa amino acid tyrosine.Thupi silingathe kupanga phenylalanie koma limafunikira phenylalanie kuti lipange mapuloteni.Choncho, anthu amafunika kupeza phenylalanie kuchokera ku chakudya.Mitundu itatu ya phenylalanie imapezeka m'chilengedwe: D-phenylalanine, L-phenylalanine, ndi DL-phenylalanine.Mwa mitundu itatu iyi, L-phenylalanine ndi mawonekedwe achilengedwe omwe amapezeka muzakudya zambiri zomwe zimakhala ndi mapuloteni, kuphatikiza ng'ombe, nkhuku, nkhumba, nsomba, mkaka, yoghurt, mazira, tchizi, soya, ndi mtedza ndi mbewu zina.