Title: Alternative Sweeteners

Acesulfame K 21
Table 2 Stability of Acesulfame K in Buffered
Aqueous Solution
20°C
Storage time pH 3.0 pH 3.5
(weeks) recovery (%) recovery (%)
16 98 98
30 98 99
50 98 99
100 95 98
30°C
Storage time pH 3.0 pH 3.5
(weeks) recovery (%) recovery (%)
16 97 100
30 95 97
50 91 96
conditions (i.e., temperatures around 100°C for products having lower pH levels
and 121°C for products around and greater than 4). In a solution of pH 4.0, which
was heated to 120°C for 1 h, no loss of acesulfame could be measured. Half-life
values determined at 100°C demonstrate that the common treatments of foods
and beverages should not cause any substantial decomposition of acesulfame K
(33).
In baking studies, no indication of decomposition of acesulfame K was
found even when biscuits with a low water content were baked at high oven
temperatures for short periods. This corresponds to the observation that acesulfame
K decomposes at temperatures well above 200°C.
Potential decomposition products of acesulfame K can, therefore, be found
only under extreme conditions. Under such conditions, compounds of hydrolytic
decomposition are mainly acetone, CO 2, ammonium salts, sulfate, and amidosulfonate.
In the hydrolytic decomposition, the ring system is initially opened, which
quickly yields the end products of hydrolysis. Only occasionally and then in very
acidic media can traces of derivatives of acetoacetic acid be detected (3).
IV. APPLICATIONS
Acesulfame K can be used as a sweetening agent in a wide range of products, for
instance in low-calorie products, diabetic foods, sugarless products, oral hygiene
preparations, pharmaceuticals, and animal feeds. The product groups acesulfame
K has been used in are shown in Table 3.