Acesulfame potassium
E950
E950, INS 950, acesulfame K, acesulfame potassium, acesulfamo K, acesulfamo potásico, Ace-K
What it is
Acesulfame potassium (INS 950 / E950), usually called Acesulfame K or Ace-K, is a high-intensity sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar. Codex lists it as both a sweetener and a flavour enhancer.
Why BOTIA flags it
Acesulfame K is about 200 times sweeter than sugar, so a very small amount does the work — and the label cannot show how much. It is absorbed and excreted largely unchanged, so it does not behave like sugar in the body. JECFA set an ADI of 0–15 mg/kg body weight, and EFSA raised its own limit to the same figure in 2025 after re-evaluation.
BOTIA CAN
- Detect E950, INS 950, Acesulfame K, Acesulfame potassium and Ace-K when explicitly declared.
- Explain its high-intensity sweetening function, its largely unchanged excretion and the JECFA and EFSA acceptable daily intake.
BOTIA CANNOT
- Determine how much Acesulfame K is present from the ingredient declaration alone.
- Calculate a person's total daily exposure or individual response from a single product label.