Allervibe
E950
Acesulfame K
A calorie-free artificial sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar.
i Additive Details
| Is E950 Acesulfame K safe?
EFSA, the FDA and JECFA all consider acesulfame K safe at authorised use levels, and no sensitive group has been identified. At higher concentrations it has a slightly bitter, metallic aftertaste, which is the main reason it is blended. Unlike aspartame it contains no phenylalanine, so it carries no PKU warning, and the potassium it adds to the diet is negligible.
| Uses
Sweetens diet soft drinks, sugar-free chewing gum, tabletop sweeteners, dairy desserts, sugar-free confectionery and many protein and 'no added sugar' products. It is stable to heat and acid, so it survives baking and long shelf lives. It is almost always blended with another sweetener rather than used on its own.
| Interactions
Blending acesulfame K with aspartame or sucralose produces a synergistic effect — the mixture tastes sweeter than the sum of its parts — and each sweetener masks the aftertaste of the other. It is not metabolised: it is absorbed, passes through the body unchanged and is excreted in the urine, so it supplies no energy and does not raise blood glucose.
| Origin
Synthetic. Made from acetoacetic acid, which is built into a cyclic oxathiazinone dioxide ring and isolated as its potassium salt. There is no natural source.
| Daily Intake
The EU ADI is 9 mg per kg of body weight per day, set by the Scientific Committee on Food. The FDA uses 15 mg per kg. Measured intakes in dietary surveys stay well below both figures.
Information is sourced from public regulatory bodies (EFSA, FDA, WHO) and is for reference only. Always read the package and consult a healthcare professional for medical advice.
Related additives
- E952 Cyclamates A synthetic sweetener 30 to 50 times sweeter than sugar, authorised in the EU but not in the United States.
- E954 Saccharin The oldest artificial sweetener, roughly 300 to 500 times sweeter than sugar.
- E960 Steviol glycosides Plant-derived sweeteners extracted from stevia leaves, about 200 to 350 times sweeter than sugar.
- E965 Maltitol A sugar alcohol used as a bulk sweetener, almost as sweet as sugar.
- E967 Xylitol A sugar alcohol as sweet as sugar, best known from dental chewing gum and mints.
- E968 Erythritol A sugar alcohol with virtually no calories, about 60 to 70 per cent as sweet as sugar.
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