Acesulfame potassium, also known as acesulfame K (K is the symbol for potassium) or Ace K, is a synthetic calorie-free sugar substitute (artificial sweetener) often marketed under the trade names Sunett and Sweet One.
In the European Union, Acesulfame K is known under the E number (additive code) E950.
CAS Number: 55589-62-3
EC Number: 259-715-3
IUPAC name: Potassium 6-methyl-2,2-dioxo-2H-1,2λ6,3-oxathiazin-4-olate
Chemical Formula: C4H4KNO4S
Other names: Acesulfame potassium, 55589-62-3, Acesulfame K, potassium 6-methyl-4-oxo-4H-1,2,3-oxathiazin-3-ide 2,2-dioxide, Acesulfame (potassium), 6-Methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazin-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide potassium salt, C4H4KNO4S, Acesulfame-K, NCGC00090729-01, Potassium 6-methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazin-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide, DSSTox_CID_10606, DSSTox_RID_78852, DSSTox_GSID_30606, Acesulfame potassium (NF), CAS-55589-62-3, Acesulfame potassium salt, E950, E 950, NCGC00090729-02, NCGC00257361-01, NCGC00259972-01, AK128967, AS-12294, SMR001595518, Acesulfame K, for food analysis, >=99.0%, CS-0010111, E-950, FT-0621718, ST51037480, A16389, D08836, J10221, K-9918, Acesulfame potassium 1000 microg/mL in Acetonitrile, 6-methyl-3H-1,2,3-oxathiazine-2,2,4-trione, potassium salt, Acesulfame potassium, European Pharmacopoeia (EP) Reference Standard, Acesulfame potassium, United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Reference Standard, Acesulfame K, Pharmaceutical Secondary Standard; Certified Reference Material
Acesulfame K was discovered accidentally in 1967 by German chemist Karl Clauss at Hoechst AG (now Nutrinova).
In chemical structure, acesulfame potassium is the potassium salt of 6-methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazine-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide.
Acesulfame K is a white crystalline powder with molecular formula C4H4KNO4S and a molecular weight of 201.24 g/mol.
Acesulfame K’s up to 200 times sweeterTrusted Source than table sugar, but acesulfame potassium has a sour reputation.
Acesulfame potassium is an artificial sweetener also known as Acesulfame K.
Acesulfame K (Ace-K) is one of the major low-calorie artificial sweeteners in the modern diet.
Also known as Acesulfame K or Ace-K, the ingredient is a calorie-free sweetener found in sugar-free products.
Alone, Acesulfame K’s a white crystal powder with a slightly bitter after-taste.
Because of this taste, Acesulfame K’s often blended with other sweeteners like sucralose (used in Splenda) or aspartame (used in Equal) — both controversial in their own right.
Acesulfame K can be found in soft drinks, protein shakes, drink mixes, frozen desserts, baked goods, candy, gum, and tabletop sweeteners.
Acesulfame Potassium (Acesulfame K), C4H4KNO4S, is a calorie-free artificial sweetener, also known as Acesulfame K.
Acesulfame K is a white, odorless, freely flowing powder having an intense sweet taste.
Acesulfame K was discovered accidentally in 1967 by German chemist Karl Clauss.
Acesulfame Potassium (Acesulfame K) is 180-200 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar), as sweet as aspartame, about half as sweet as saccharin, and one-quarter as sweet as sucralose.
A 3% solution is approximately 200 times sweeter than sucrose.
Acesulfame K is freely soluble in water and slightly soluble in ethanol.
Like saccharin, Acesulfame K has a slightly bitter aftertaste, especially at high concentrations.
Acesulfame Potassium (Acesulfame K) is often blended with other sweeteners (usually sucralose or aspartame).
These blends are reputed to give a more sugar-like taste whereby each sweetener masks the other’s aftertaste, and/or exhibits a synergistic effect by which the blend is sweeter than Acesulfame K components.
Unlike aspartame, Acesulfame Potassium (Acesulfame K) is stable under heat, even under moderately acidic or basic conditions, allowing Acesulfame K to be used in baking, or in products that require a long shelf life.
In carbonated drinks, Acesulfame K is almost always used in conjunction with another sweetener, such as aspartame or sucralose.
Acesulfame K is also used as a sweetener in protein shakes and pharmaceutical products, especially chewable and liquid medications, where Acesulfame K can make the active ingredients more palatable.
Acesulfame K (Ace-K) is a calorie-free sweetener that is 200 times sweeter than sugar.
Acesulfame K is used in various food products available in the market.
Acesulfame K is one of the five artificial sweeteners approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
A variety of drinks and foods consist of Acesulfame K, which includes table-top sweeteners, dairy products, chewing gum, jam, frozen desserts, baked goods, and cola and fizzy drinks.
Acesulfame K is mainly used in baked items as Acesulfame K retains Acesulfame K sweetness even at very high temperatures.
Acesulfame K cannot be stored in the human body or broken down during digestion; after consumption, Acesulfame K is rapidly absorbed and excreted by the body without any change.
Research has found that artificial sweeteners cause only minimal changes in blood sugar levels, and sources say they are safe for people with diabetes.
Acesulfame K is a synthetic substance and the potassium salt of a sulfonate compound.
Acesulfame K is approximately 200 times sweeter than sucrose, but can give a bitter aftertaste, especially when used at high concentration.
Acesulfame K is often used in combination with sucralose or aspartame to provide a more sucrose-like taste in soft drinks, shakes, and smoothies.
This combination is also used to make pharmaceuticals more palatable.
Acesulfame is moderately heat stable.
This enables Acesulfame K use in baked foods.
The ADI of acesulfame K is 15 mg per kg of body weight which is equivalent to about 1000 mg for a person weighing 165 lbs.
Acesulfame potassium (also known as acesulfame K or Ace K) is a calorie-free, high intensity sweetener.
Acesulfame K is stable under heat and in moderately acidic or basic conditions.
This allows Acesulfame K to be used as a food additive in baking or in products that require a long shelf life.
A white, odorless, freely flowing powder, acesulfame potassium has an intense sweet taste: a 3% solution is approximately 200 times sweeter than sucrose.
Acesulfame K is freely soluble in water and slightly soluble in ethanol.
Acesulfame potassium has been tested for close to 40 years, with more than 100 studies on safety and efficacy.
These studies, including long-term animal feed tests, consistently show acesulfame potassium is a safe and effective no calorie sweetener.
Acesulfame K does not promote tooth decay and is suitable for people with diabetes.
The sweetness of Acesulfame K 3% solution is approximately 200 times than table sugar, but like sodium saccharin, Acesulfame K has a slightly bitter aftertaste at high concentrations.
Acesulfame K shares the same sweetness with aspartame, 2/3 sweet as sodium saccharin and 1/3 sweet as sucralose.
Acesulfame potassium is approved for use in food as a non-nutritive sweetener.
Acesulfame K is included in the ingredient list on the food label as acesulfame K, acesulfame potassium, or Ace-K.
Acesulfame K is about 200 times sweeter than sugar and is often combined with other sweeteners.
FDA approved acesulfame potassium for use in specific food and beverage categories in 1988 (53 FR 28379), and in 2003 approved Acesulfame K as a general purpose sweetener and flavor enhancer in food, except in meat and poultry, under certain conditions of use.
Acesulfame K is heat stable, meaning that Acesulfame K stays sweet even when used at high temperatures during baking, making Acesulfame K suitable as a sugar substitute in baked goods.
Acesulfame potassium is typically used in frozen desserts, candies, beverages, and baked goods.
More than 90 studies support Acesulfame Ks safety.
Benefits of Acesulfame K:
Zero glycemic index.
Not harmful to teeth.
Suitable for diabetics.
Acesulfame K is one ofthe cheapest sweeteners.
Works very well with other sweeteners including Aspartame and Sucralose.
Acesulfame K is heat stable and is suitable for cooking and in processed foods.
Uses of Acesulfame K:
Acesulfame K keeps its sweetness at high temperatures, making Acesulfame K a good sweetener for baking.
Acesulfame K is a calorie-free sweetener that is 200x sweeter than table sugar.
Acesulfame K is used in many diet products, including sugar-free versions of Red Bull, Rockstar, Bang, and Monster.
Acesulfame K is known for having a bitter aftertaste, which often leads to Acesulfame K being paired with other artificial sweeteners.
Artificial sweeteners like acesulfame potassium are popular because they're often far sweeter than natural sugar, meaning you can use less in a recipe.
Acesulfame potassium can be used in flavor fermented milks, frozen drinks, canned fruits, jams, preserved fruits, pickled vegetables, roasted seeds and nuts, candies, baked food , table sweeteners, condiments, beverages, jellies and other food fields.
Since Acesulfame K's more than 200 times sweeter than sugar, manufacturers can use far less acesulfame potassium, lowering the amount of calories and carbohydrates in a product.
Acesulfame K is primarily used in beverages in blends with other sweeteners and is a component in most of today’s diet soft-drinks, sports drinks and flavored waters.
Blends of Acesulfame K are also found in many food applications including desserts, puddings, dairy products, and baked goods.
Acesulfame works by stimulating the sweet-taste receptors on the tongue, so a person can enjoy the taste of sweetness without consuming sugar.
Manufacturers usually blend acesulfame potassium with other sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose.
They do this to mask the bitter aftertaste that sweeteners can have on their own.
Interestingly, the body may not break down or store acesulfame potassium as Acesulfame K does with other food.
Instead, the body absorbs Acesulfame K and then passes Acesulfame K, unchanged, through urine.
Acesulfame potassium is a highly versatile artificial sweetener that manufacturers use in a wide range of foods and drinks.
Unlike similar sweeteners, such as aspartame, Acesulfame K is stable when heated.
Because of this property, many baked goods contain acesulfame potassium.
Examples of foods containing acesulfame potassium include:
Beverages, including soda, fruit juices, non-carbonated drinks, and alcohol,
Tabletop sweeteners,
Dairy products,
Ice cream,
Desserts,
Jam, jelly, and marmalade,
Baked goods,
Toothpaste and mouthwash,
Chewing gum,
Marinades,
Yogurt and other milk products,
Breakfast cereals,
Salad dressings and sauces,
Condiments.
Acesulfame K is often combined with other artificial sweeteners and most often used in:
Soda
Frozen desserts
Candies
Drinks
Baked goods
Chewing gum
Sauces
Yogurt
Acesulfame K also offer some health benefits, including:
Weight Management:
A teaspoon of sugar has approximately 16 calories.
This may not sound like much until you realize that the average soda has 10 teaspoons of sugar, which adds up to around 160 additional calories.
As a sugar substitute, acesulfame potassium has 0 calories, allowing you to cut a lot of those extra calories from your diet.
Fewer calories makes Acesulfame K easier for you to drop extra pounds or to stay at a healthy weight.
Diabetes:
Artificial sweeteners don’t raise your blood sugar levels like sugar does.
If you have diabetes, talk to your doctor about using artificial sweeteners before you use any.
Dental Health:
Sugar can contribute to tooth decay, but sugar substitutes like acesulfame potassium don’t.
Uses Area of Acesulfame K:
Acesulfame K is commonly used in reduced sugar/calorie food, e.g. soft drinks, table top sweeteners, baked goods, confectionery and dairy products.
Acesulfame K has a bitter aftertaste when used alone so Acesulfame K is usually combined with aspartame to mask Acesulfame Ks metallic taste and exhibits a synergistic sweet effect, for example, in Pepsi’s zero sugar soda.
In Europe, there is an ingredient called “salt of aspartame-acesulfame”, which is made of two molecule aspartame with one molecule acesulfame K, with the E number E962.
Ace k can also be blended with sucralose or sugar alcohols to generate a more sugar-like taste.
Ace k is widely used in carbonated drinks for Acesulfame K purpose of good sweet taste and zero calorie, and we can find this ingredient in the label of diet coke feisty cherry and coca-cola zero sugar of Coca-Cola’s products.
Also, ace k functions as a non-caloric and sugar free sweetener in energy drink, such as in Redbull and coffemate of Nestle.
Sweeteners are substances used as a dietary supplement to replace sugar.
Consumers are concerned about the high levels of sugar, calories and cariogenicity in confectionery products, which is why the popularity of the so-called “Light“ products and „sugar-free“ products.
Acesulfame K is a synthetic sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar.
In the present work, an analysis of acesulfame K in cocoa and chocolate products was performed.
For the determination of sweeteners acesulfame K, saccharin and aspartame in foodstuffs, a standardized reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography method with UV detection was used.
A cocoa matrix-specific compound was observed in all chocolate products analyzed for acesulfame K.
Interference did not correspond to acesulfame K on the UV spectrum and could not be removed by two-step purification.
The comparison of the spectral characteristics allowed to avoid a misleading result for the presence of acesulfame K in chocolate and cocoa products.
Properties of Acesulfame K:
Acesulfame K is 200 times sweeter than sucrose (common sugar), as sweet as aspartame, about two-thirds as sweet as saccharin, and one-third as sweet as sucralose.
Like saccharin, Acesulfame K has a slightly bitter aftertaste, especially at high concentrations.
Kraft Foods patented the use of sodium ferulate to mask acesulfame's aftertaste.
Acesulfame K is often blended with other sweeteners (usually sucralose or aspartame).
These blends are reputed to give a more sucrose-like taste whereby each sweetener masks the other's aftertaste, or exhibits a synergistic effect by which the blend is sweeter than Acesulfame Ks components.
Acesulfame potassium has a smaller particle size than sucrose, allowing for Acesulfame Ks mixtures with other sweeteners to be more uniform.
Unlike aspartame, acesulfame K is stable under heat, even under moderately acidic or basic conditions, allowing Acesulfame K to be used as a food additive in baking, or in products that require a long shelf life.
Although acesulfame potassium has a stable shelf life, Acesulfame K can eventually degrade to acetoacetamide, which is toxic in high doses.
In carbonated drinks, Acesulfame K is almost always used in conjunction with another sweetener, such as aspartame or sucralose.
Acesulfame K is also used as a sweetener in protein shakes and pharmaceutical products, especially chewable and liquid medications, where Acesulfame K can make the active ingredients more palatable.
The acceptable daily intake of acesulfame potassium is listed as 15 mg/kg/day.
Acesulfame potassium is widely used in the human diet and excreted by the kidneys.
Acesulfame K thus has been used by researchers as a marker to estimate to what degree swimming pools are contaminated by urine.
Other names for acesulfame K are potassium acesulfamate, potassium salt of 6-methyl-1,2,3-oxothiazin-4(3H)-one-2,3-dioxide, and potassium 6-methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazine-4(3H)-one-3-ate-2,2-dioxide.
Manufacture of Acesulfame K:
Acesulfame K is commercially made from the chemical reactions among sulfamic acid, diketene, triethylamine, acetic acid, sulfur trioxide and potassium hydroxide.
What are the health benefits of Acesulfame K?
Acesulfame K is quickly excreted via the urine unchanged after absorption and no accumulation in our body.
Acesulfame K contributes zero calorie, without raising insulin levels, and does not promote dental caries.
Zero Glycemic Index:
Acesulfame k cannot be metabolized in the human body so Acesulfame K has a glycemic index with 0.
That’s to say, Acesulfame K does not raise blood sugar and insulin levels and therefore Acesulfame K is safe for diabetics.
Tooth Friendly:
Acesulfame K will not cause tooth decay so Acesulfame K is a suitable ingredient to be added in food for children.
Discovery of Acesulfame K:
Acesulfame potassium was developed after the accidental discovery of a similar compound (5,6-dimethyl-1,2,3-oxathiazin-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide) in 1967 by Karl Clauss and Harald Jensen at Hoechst AG.
After accidentally dipping his fingers into the chemicals with which he was working, Clauss licked them to pick up a piece of paper.
Clauss is the inventor listed on a United States patent issued in 1975 to the assignee Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft for one process of manufacturing acesulfame potassium.
Subsequent research showed a number of compounds with the same basic ring structure had varying levels of sweetness.
6-methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazine-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide had particularly favourable taste characteristics and was relatively easy to synthesize, so Acesulfame K was singled out for further research, and received Acesulfame Ks generic name (acesulfame-K) from the World Health Organization in 1978.
Acesulfame potassium first received approval for table top use in the United States in 1988.