What is Acesulfame-K?

Acesulface-K was discovered in 1967 and, like the other artificial sweeteners, was stumbled upon by accident. Sold as Sunette, Acesulfame-K was FDA-approved in 1988 for use in tabletop sweeteners, dry beverage mixes, and chewing gum. It is 130 times sweeter than sucrose and is stable to heating and cooling, but it has a bitter aftertaste like that of saccharin. An ADI of 9 mg per kilogram of body weight has been established, but the FDA nevertheless recommends no more than 15 mg, which is equivalent to 20 diet sodas or 10 sweetener packets.

The difference in recommendations results from the use of two different NOELs to determine safety. NOEL stands for No-Observed-Effect Level which is the level or dose at which an additive is fed to laboratory animals without any negative side effects.