# Acesulfame K

Acesulfame K is the potassium salt of an oxathiazinone dioxide, coded E 950 in the EU and often labelled acesulfame potassium. It is roughly 200 times sweeter than table sugar, contributes no energy, and is not metabolised. The body absorbs it and excretes it unchanged in urine. It is heat stable, which is why it appears in baked goods, and it is usually blended with other sweeteners to mask a bitter aftertaste.

The limit changed recently. The EU Scientific Committee on Food set the ADI at 9 mg per kilogram of body weight per day in 2000. EFSA re-evaluated acesulfame K in April 2025 and raised it to 15 mg/kg, derived from a rat no observed adverse effect level of 1500 mg/kg per day with a hundredfold safety factor. That aligns the EU with the FDA figure of 15 mg/kg. EFSA found EU exposure below the ADI in all population groups.

Human trial data are short and limited to metabolic markers. The concerning signals are observational. The NutriNet-Santé cohort reported an association between acesulfame K intake and cancer incidence, and WHO advised in 2023 against using non-sugar sweeteners for weight control.

Cohorts of this kind cannot separate the sweetener from the diet that carries it.

## Sources

- EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF). (2025). Re-evaluation of acesulfame K (E 950) as food additive. EFSA Journal. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9317
- Debras C, Chazelas E, Srour B, et al.. (2022). Artificial sweeteners and cancer risk: Results from the NutriNet-Santé population-based cohort study. PLOS Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003950
- World Health Organization. (2023). Use of non-sugar sweeteners: WHO guideline. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240073616

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_Canonical: https://longevity-germany.com/en/glossary/acesulfame-k · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-08-25_