What It Is:
Acesulfame Potassium, or Acesulfame-K, is sold under the names Sunett and Sweet One. The letter K stands for potassium and it has a structure that is similar to saccharin. It's about 150 to 200 times sweeter than sugar, so very little of it is needed to sweeten foods. This means using acesulfame potassium adds no calories to your diet.
What It Is Not:
Acesulfame Potassium is not toxic and it is not a source of dietary potassium. After absorption, almost all of the molecules remain unchanged and are excreted in the urine.
How To Use It:
Acesulfame Potassium is heat-stable and often combined with other sweeteners. It's been approved for general use in foods and is found in many food products worldwide. However, in the United States it is not as popular as sucralose and aspartame.
Safety:
Acesulfame Potassium has been shown to be safe in more than 90 studies by the FDA and the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives.
Fears:
Acesulfame Potassium has been blamed for causing tumors in rats. However, the overwhelming majority of studies show it to be safe. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics considers acesulfame potassium safe when used as part of a healthy eating plan.
Sources:
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: appropriate use of nutritive and non-nutritive sweeteners." J Am Diet Assoc. 2004 Feb;104(2):255-275.
United States Food and Drug Administration. "Artificial Sweeteners: No Calories ... Sweet!" July 2006.
