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Acesulfame K(E950)

Level 3 — ContestedIn Winter's Dictionary2 sources

Acesulfame K is a artificial sweetener — Nonnutritive sweetener about 200x sweeter than sugar

Also: Ace K, Acesulfame potassium, Sunett

What it does

Nonnutritive sweetener about 200x sweeter than sugar

Where you'll see it

Candies, soft drinks, baked goods, frozen desserts, chewing gum, dry beverage mixes, confections, canned fruits, gelatins, puddings, custards, tabletop sweeteners

What the research says

CSPI warned FDA before approval that animals fed acesulfame K suffered more tumors than controls in two studies. Diabetic rats had high blood cholesterol when fed it. When heated to decomposition emits toxic fumes. [metabolical] Non-nutritive sweetener that triggers cephalic insulin response, alters intestinal microbiome, and contributes to dysbiosis-mediated metabolic syndrome despite zero calories.

Benefits

Not digested; suitable for cooking; long shelf life

Regulatory status

  • US FDA: ASP
  • EU: approved
  • Notes: Approved by FDA 1988; used in 20+ countries including France and Britain

Sources

  • Metabolical (Lustig) — Chapter 12: diet sweeteners might change the composition of intestinal bacteria, which could cause leaky gut, generate inflammation, increase deposition of visceral fat, and drive metabolic syndrome
  • A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives (Winter): approved by the FDA in 1988, it is crystalline sweetener that is two hundred times sweeter than table sugar