Title: Alternative Sweeteners

Acesulfame K 27
All methods described allow the separation of acesulfame K from other
intense sweeteners that may be used in combination.
VI. REGULATORY SITUATION
The completion of a comprehensive safety evaluation program paved the way
for the approval of acesulfame K as a food additive.
The evaluation of the data by the Joint Expert Committee for Food Additives
of the WHO and FAO resulted in approval for food use with the allocation of an
ADI of 0–15 mg/kg of body weight (23). In addition, specifications were published
that were revised later (52). The Scientific Committee for Foods of the EEC performed
another evaluation of acesulfame’s safety. Again, acesulfame was approved
for food use, and an ADI of 0–9 mg/kg of body weight was allocated (24).
In the United Kingdom, the first country approving Acesulfame, the Food
Additives and Contaminants Committee published a report on sweetening agents
for foods, listing acesulfame K among ‘‘substances that the available evidence
suggests are acceptable for use in food’’ (53). In the United States, the approval
of acesulfame for a number of applications was granted in 1988 (25) followed
by approvals for many other product categories including soft drinks. All approvals
allow use of acesulfame K under conditions of good manufacturing practice
(i.e., without numerical limitation) (54).
After the favorable assessments published by the WHO and FAO and the
Scientific Committee for Foods of the EU, more than 100 countries have approved
the use of acesulfame K in at least some products. They include all member
states of the European Union (because acesulfame K is listed for many applications
in the Directive on Sweeteners for Use in Foodstuffs), Canada, Japan,
Australia, and New Zealand. In several countries, approvals according to good
manufacturing practice have been granted.
Because the ADI values allocated for acesulfame K may not be easy to
compare with use levels, a conversion into the corresponding sucrose levels offers
a simple possibility to get an idea of the potential applications. Using the sweetness
intensity factor of 200 times sucrose, the ADI allocated by the WHO and
FAO corresponds to 180 g of sucrose for the 60-kg adult. These values are well
above the average daily sucrose consumption. Therefore, it can be concluded that
the intake of acesulfame K will generally be well below the ADI. This view has
been confirmed by intake studies and calculations.
REFERENCES
1. K Clauss, H Jensen. Oxathiazinon dioxides—a new group of sweetening agents.
Angew Chem Engl 85:965, 1973; Angew Chem (Int Ed), 12:869, 1973.