Acesulfame potassium

E number E950INS 950CAS 55589-62-3

Used as a sweetener — Codex also lists it as flavour enhancer.

Acesulfame potassium is an intense sweetener roughly two hundred times as sweet as sugar, usually blended with other sweeteners to mask its aftertaste. It is used in soft drinks, confectionery, dairy products and tabletop sweeteners.

Where it is and isn’t permitted

Status of Acesulfame potassium by jurisdiction. Every jurisdiction this site covers is listed, including those where the substance does not appear.
JurisdictionStatusScope and limitsCitation
United StatesFood and Drug AdministrationPermitted, with conditions21 CFR 172.800retrieved 2026-09-07
Codex AlimentariusCodex Alimentarius Commission / JECFAPermitted, with conditions

65 food categories

highest permitted level 5,000 mg/kg

Show every food category
  • 01.1.4 Flavoured Fluid Milk Drinks — 350 mg/kg
  • 01.3.2 Beverage whiteners — 2,000 mg/kg
  • 01.4.4 Cream analogues — 1,000 mg/kg
  • 01.5.2 Milk and cream powder analogues — 1,000 mg/kg
  • 01.7 Dairy-based desserts (e.g. pudding, fruit or flavoured yoghurt) — 350 mg/kg
  • 02.4 Fat-based desserts excluding dairy-based dessert products of food category 01.7 — 350 mg/kg
  • 03.0 Edible ices, including sherbet and sorbet — 800 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.1 Frozen fruit — 500 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.10 Fermented fruit products — 350 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.11 Fruit fillings for pastries — 350 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.12 Cooked fruit — 500 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.3 Fruit in vinegar, oil, or brine — 200 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.4 Canned or bottled (pasteurized) fruit — 350 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.5 — 1,000 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.6 Fruit-based spreads (e.g. chutney) excluding products of food category — 1,000 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.7 Candied fruit — 500 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.8 Fruit preparations, including pulp, purees, fruit toppings and coconut milk — 350 mg/kg
  • 04.1.2.9 Fruit-based desserts, incl. fruit-flavoured water-based desserts — 350 mg/kg
  • 04.2.2.2 Dried vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweeds, and nuts and seeds — 300 mg/kg
  • 04.2.2.3 Vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), and seaweeds in vinegar, oil, brine, or soybean sauce — 200 mg/kg
  • 04.2.2.4 Canned or bottled (pasteurized) or retort pouch vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), and seaweeds — 350 mg/kg
  • 04.2.2.5 Vegetable (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweed, and nut and seed purees and spreads (e.g. peanut butter) — 1,000 mg/kg
  • 04.2.2.6 Vegetable (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), seaweed, and nut and seed pulps and preparations (e.g. vegetable desserts and sauces, candied vegetables) other than food category 04.2.2.5 — 350 mg/kg
  • 04.2.2.7 Fermented vegetable (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera) and seaweed products, excluding fermented soybean products of food categories 06.8.6, 06.8.7, 12.9.1, — 1,000 mg/kg
  • 04.2.2.8 Cooked or fried vegetables (including mushrooms and fungi, roots and tubers, pulses and legumes, and aloe vera), and seaweeds — 300 mg/kg
  • 05.1.1 Cocoa mixes (powders) and cocoa mass/cake — 350 mg/kg
  • 05.1.2 Cocoa mixes (syrups) — 350 mg/kg
  • 05.1.3 Cocoa-based spreads, incl. fillings — 1,000 mg/kg
  • 05.1.4 Cocoa and chocolate products — 500 mg/kg
  • 05.1.5 Imitation chocolate, chocolate substitute products — 500 mg/kg
  • 05.2.1 Hard candy — 500 mg/kg
  • 05.2.2 Soft candy — 1,000 mg/kg
  • 05.2.3 Nougats and marzipans — 1,000 mg/kg
  • 05.3 Chewing gum — 5,000 mg/kg
  • 05.4 Decorations (e.g. for fine bakery wares), toppings (non-fruit), and sweet sauces — 500 mg/kg
  • 06.3 Breakfast cereals, including rolled oats — 1,200 mg/kg
  • 06.5 Cereal and starch based desserts (e.g. rice pudding, tapioca pudding) — 350 mg/kg
  • 06.8.1 Soybean-based beverages — 500 mg/kg
  • 07.1 Bread and ordinary bakery wares and mixes — 1,000 mg/kg
  • 07.2 Fine bakery wares (sweet, salty, savoury) and mixes — 1,000 mg/kg
  • 09.2 Processed fish and fish products, including molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms — 200 mg/kg
  • 09.3 Semi-preserved fish and fish products, including molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms — 200 mg/kg
  • 09.4 Fully preserved, including canned or fermented fish and fish products, including molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms — 200 mg/kg
  • 10.4 Egg-based desserts (e.g. custard) — 350 mg/kg
  • 11.4 Other sugars and syrups (e.g. xylose, maple syrup, sugar toppings) — 1,000 mg/kg
  • 11.6 Table-top sweeteners, including those containing high-intensity sweeteners — GMP
  • 12.2.2 Seasonings and condiments — 2,000 mg/kg
  • 12.3 Vinegars — 2,000 mg/kg
  • 12.4 Mustards — 350 mg/kg
  • 12.5 Soups and broths — 110 mg/kg
  • 12.6 Sauces and like products — 1,000 mg/kg
  • 12.7 Salads (e.g. macaroni salad, potato salad) and sandwich spreads excluding cocoa-and nut-based spreads of food categories 04.2.2.5 and 05.1.3 — 350 mg/kg
  • 12.9.1 Fermented soybean paste (e.g. miso) — 350 mg/kg
  • 13.3 Dietetic foods intended for special medical purposes (excluding products of food category 13.1) — 500 mg/kg
  • 13.4 Dietetic formulae for slimming purposes and weight reduction — 450 mg/kg
  • 13.5 Dietetic foods (e.g. supplementary foods for dietary use) excluding products of food categories — 450 mg/kg
  • 13.6 Food supplements — 2,000 mg/kg
  • 14.1.3.1 Fruit nectar — 350 mg/kg
  • 14.1.3.2 Vegetable nectar — 350 mg/kg
  • 14.1.3.3 Concentrates for fruit nectar — 350 mg/kg
  • 14.1.3.4 Concentrates for vegetable nectar — 350 mg/kg
  • 14.1.4 Water-based flavoured drinks, including "sport," “energy,” or "electrolyte" drinks and particulated drinks — 600 mg/kg
  • 14.1.5 Coffee, coffee substitutes, tea, herbal infusions, and other hot cereal and grain beverages, excluding cocoa — 600 mg/kg
  • 14.2.7 Aromatized alcoholic beverages (e.g. beer, wine and spirituous cooler-type beverages, low-alcoholic refreshers) — 350 mg/kg
  • 15.0 Ready-to-eat savouries — 350 mg/kg
CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 950and 64 further provisionsretrieved 2026-09-07

What it is made from

Synthesised from acetoacetic acid and sulfamic acid derivatives through a ring-closing reaction, then isolated as the potassium salt. It is not metabolised for energy and is excreted unchanged. No animal material is involved.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
CAS registry number
55589-62-3
InChIKey
WBZFUFAFFUEMEI-UHFFFAOYSA-M
PubChem
CID 11074431

Every name it appears under

42 recorded names. A label may use any of them.

E number

  • E950

INS number

  • 950

CAS registry number

  • 55589-62-3

As it appears in regulation

  • Acesulfame potassium

Other names

  • 1,2,3-Oxathiazin-4(3H)-one, 6-methyl-, 2,2-dioxide, potassium salt
  • 4-(1H-Tetrazol-1-yl)benzoic acid, AldrichCPR
  • 516 - Carbonated Drink (degassed)
  • 517 - Dilutable/Ready to drink
  • 6-Methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazin-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide potassium salt
  • 6-methyl-3H-1,2,3-oxathiazine-2,2,4-trione, potassium salt
  • 761 - Sweeteners
  • Ace K
  • Acesulfam-K
  • Acesulfame (potassium) (Standard)
  • Acesulfame K
  • Acesulfame K, analytical standard
  • Acesulfame K, for food analysis, >=99.0%
  • Acesulfame K, Pharmaceutical Secondary Standard; Certified Reference Material
  • Acesulfame potassium
  • Acesulfame potassium (NF)
  • Acesulfame potassium 1000 microg/mL in Acetonitrile
  • Acesulfame potassium CRS
  • Acesulfame potassium salt
  • Acesulfame potassium, European Pharmacopoeia (EP) Reference Standard
  • Acesulfame potassium, United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Reference Standard
  • Acesulfame-K
  • Acesulfame-potassium
  • Acesulfamepotassium
  • E 950
  • Hoe 095
  • INS NO.950
  • INS-950
  • Otizon
  • Potassium 6-methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazin-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide
  • Potassium 6-methyl-2,2,4-trioxo-2H,4H-1,2lambda~6~,3-oxathiazin-3-ide
  • potassium 6-methyl-4-oxo-4H-1,2,3-oxathiazin-3-ide 2,2-dioxide
  • Potassium acesulfamate
  • Potassium acesulfame
  • Potassium salt of 3,4-dihydro-6-methyl- 1,2,3-oxathiazin-4-one-2,2-dioxide
  • potassium;6-methyl-2,2-dioxo-1-oxa-2lambda6-thia-3-azanidacyclohex-5-en-4-one
  • Sunett d

Systematic names

  • potassium 6-methyl-4-oxo-4H-1,2,3-oxathiazin-3-ide 2,2-dioxide

Hazard reference values

Values set by assessing bodies. A body that has not set a value is not listed here.
TypeValuePopulationAssessed byOpinion
ADI9 mg/kg bw/dayconsumersEFSA ANS2016
ADI15 mg/kg bw/dayconsumersEFSAnot identified in the dataset

Evidence and how bodies read it

Studies, and the differing conclusions regulators drew from them, are curated by hand rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.

Sources for this page

  • ecfr retrieved 2026-09-07
  • gsfa retrieved 2026-09-07

Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.

Machine-readable:/api/v1/additives/acesulfame-potassium.json