Characteristics and use as a sweetener
The acesulfame K is an intensive sweetener accidentally discovered by German chemists Clauss and Jensen in 1967. Although slightly higher values have been reported, it exhibits a sweetening power about 200 times higher than a 3% sucrose solution (the intensity depends on from the concentration of the solutions with which it is compared).
Usually the sweetening power of acesulfame K is considered to be about half of saccharin, similar to aspartame and 4 or 5 times sweeter than sodium cyclamate.
By tasting acidic foods and drinks sweetened with acesulfame K, a slightly higher sweetening power is perceived compared to neutral solutions at the same concentration.
The sweet taste is immediately perceived, first compared to other sweeteners such as aspartame and alitame, it is not persistent and in any case does not last longer than the taste of the food itself in which it is contained. Very concentrated aqueous solutions of Acesulfame K may seem slightly bitter, but in foodstuffs with low concentrations this has never been highlighted. As with most intensive sweeteners, the different taste depends on the products you use.
A strong synergistic effect of sweetness intensity was noted in mixtures of Acesulfame K with aspartame or sodium cyclamate, while the effect is almost absent with saccharin. Acesulfame K also exhibits synergism with halitame, fructose, sucralose, high fructose corn syrup and thaumatin. The following weight / weight mixtures are favorable in view of their overall characteristics: Acesulfame K / aspartame 1: 1 and Acesulfame K / sodium cyclamate 1: 5.
In particular Acesulfame K / aspartame and Acesulfame K / aspartame / saccharin / cyclamate give foods a taste not very different from the known one of sucrose.
In the mixtures Acesulfame K and aspartame or sucralose the prolonged sweet taste effect due to the last two sweeteners is considerably reduced. Also favorable is the mixture of Acesulfame K with alcohols derived from sugars such as xylitol, maltitol and sorbitol with ratios of about 1: 100-200.
Acesulfame K is a product with a white crystalline powder appearance, odorless and very soluble in water. The duration of the pure solid compound seems unlimited at room temperature. Samples kept in these conditions for more than 6 years and exposed or not exposed to light do not show signs of decomposition or different analytical data compared to samples just synthesized. The acesulfame K does not have a final melting point; when a sample is heated in fusion conditions, decomposition is observed at temperatures well above 200 ° C. The decomposition seems to depend on the speed of heating; no decomposition is observed at the expected temperature conditions for additives.
Acesulfame K can be used as a sweetening agent for a wide range of products; it is widely used in low-calorie foods, diabetic foods, oral hygiene preparations, pharmaceuticals and even pet foods. Due to its high stability at low pH it can be used for drinks or acid foods; it is also suitable for baked products (it decomposes at temperatures well above 200 ° C).
Safety of use and side effects
Acesulfame K is not metabolised by humans. To investigate the possible metabolic transformations Acesulfame K containing labeled carbon (isotope 14) was used, administered to rats, dogs and pigs. The studies did not reveal any metabolism, so the same experiment was repeated on volunteer men; in both cases the Acesulfame K was excreted intact. Since this artificial sweetener is not metabolized, no caloric intake and no influence on blood sugar is attributed to it. Pharmacokinetic studies always carried out on rats, dogs, pigs and volunteer men have shown that Acesulfame K is quickly absorbed and excreted in the urine; it is also not accumulated in tissues, even after high-dose intakes. Finally it is not metabolized by the bacteria responsible for caries formation and is therefore acariogenic.
Toxicological studies for sweeteners are of crucial importance for their approval and subsequent use. A wide range of toxicological studies has been carried out for Acesulfame K and all have shown that it is a non-toxic compound, suitable for use as an intensive sweetener. The ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake) is 0-9 mg / kg of body weight in the EU (by the Scientific Committee for Foods), while it rises to 15 mg / kg for the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the United States.
