Acesulfame potassium

Acesulfame potassium (CAS 55589-62-3), also known as Ace-K and E950, is a high-intensity artificial sweetener approximately 200 times sweeter than sucrose.

Where is Acesulfame potassium used?

• Beverages: blended with aspartame or sucralose to mask residual bitterness in carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks and flavored waters
• Confectionery and baked goods: sugar replacement in hard candies, chewing gum and cookies
• Dairy: sugar-free yogurts, flavored milks and ice cream
• Tabletop sweetener blends and pharmaceutical oral dosage forms such as syrups and chewable tablets rely on it for palatability.
• Beer-based drinks, including specialty beers and flavored malt beverages.

Formulation notes

• Compared with aspartame, it is very stable at high temperatures.
• As sweet as aspartame, about two-thirds as sweet as sodium saccharin, and one-third as sweet as sucralose.

Typical specification

• Heat resistant up to 200 °C and can therefore be used for cooking and baking.
• Freely soluble in water.
• Particle size is minimum 95% smaller than 1,000 microns.
• At high concentrations it has a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Regulatory status

• In 2025 EFSA re-evaluated acesulfame potassium and proposed raising the ADI from 9 to 15 mg/kg/day.
• DIN EN 12856 specifies an HPLC method for determining acesulfame potassium, aspartame and saccharin in food.
• Approved for use in Europe in 1983.
• DIN EN 15911 specifies a method for the simultaneous determination of nine sweeteners, including acesulfame potassium, by HPLC with evaporative light-scattering detection.

Frequently asked questions about Acesulfame potassium

In which additional applications is acesulfame potassium used?

It is used in cocktails and alcoholic beverages to sweeten mixed drinks without adding calories, in powdered concentrates including powdered drink mixes and instant beverages, and in chocolate to maintain sweetness in low-calorie products.

Technical content is compiled and updated by the SoleChem product team from public technical sources; the certificate of analysis (COA) governs product-specific specifications.