Acesulfame K information Acesulfame potassium or Ace K

Acesulfame potassium is an artificial sweetener without calories. Weight-conscious subjects and diabetics use the sulfonyl amide sweeteners saccharin and acesulfame K to reduce their calorie and sugar intake.

Acesulfame K is a controversial sugar substitute, commonly sold as Sweet One or Sunnette. Acesulfame K is found in Jell-O, nondairy creamers and Coca-Cola Zero, and has long been earmarked as a potential cancer-causing agent by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Acesulfame-K (potassium) is 200 times sweeter than sugar, with zero calories. Acesulfame-K was first approved by the FDA in 1988 for specific uses, including as a tabletop sweetener. The FDA approved the sweetener in 1998 for use in beverages. In December 2003, it was approved for general use in foods, but not in meat or poultry. Acesulfame-K can be found in baked goods, frozen desserts, candies, beverages, cough drops, and breath mints. Sunett is an artificial sweetener manufactured by Nutrinova, which has wide scale approval in over 100 countries around the world and can be used in all food applications in the U.S.

Acesulfame K is marketed under the trade names Sunett and Sweet One.  Acesulfame K was discovered accidentally in 1967 by German chemist Karl Clauss at Hoechst AG (now Nutrinova). Acesulfame K is about 200 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar), as sweet as aspartame, about half as sweet as saccharin, and one-quarter as sweet as sucralose.

Sweeteners in foods
Acesulfame potassium; sucralose; saccharin; cyclamate; aspartame; dulcin; glycyrrhizic acid; stevioside; rebaudioside A can be found added to foods. Some of the most consumed foodstuffs with artificial sweeteners include diet soda, fruit syrup, table powder, ice cream, chewing gum, throat lozenges, sweets, and yoghurt.

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