Believe it or not the artificial sweetener acesulfame potassium (acesulfame-K) was discovered through sloppy laboratory technique. Back in 1967 Karl Clauss, synthesizing some novel molecules at the Hoechst Chemical Company in Germany, licked his finger and noted a sweet taste. He immediately recognized the market potential of his finding but about twenty years of testing were needed before acesulfame won approval as an artificial sweetener. The compound is about two hundred times sweeter than sugar, and unlike aspartame, does not lose its sweetness when heated. Given that about 95% of acesulfame consumed is excreted unchanged in the urine, and that U.S., Canadian and European agencies have carefully reviewed safety assessment studies and have found no problems, one might think that there would be no opposition to the use of this particular sweetener. But one would be wrong. No matter what is introduced into the market place, there will be some individuals and some organizations that make accusations of inadequate testing and maintain that industry is playing Russian roulette with the health of consumers.
In the case of acesulfame, the claim is that the tests were carried out by Hoechst, a company that had a vested interest in the product. The rat studies were not long enough, critics say, or the dosages used were too low, or that an increase in breast tumours in female rats was ignored. In fact, authorities have examined all of these claims and found them lacking in substance. The current scientific opinion is that a ballpark figure of 10-15 mgs per kilogram of body weight is an acceptable daily intake and presents no problems. And how does that relate to consumption? Well, a 220 mL can of Coca-Cola Zero has 30 mg of acesulfame, so an average adult could drink at least 20 such cans a day and still be well below the acceptable daily intake. Why is there acesulfame in Coca Cola Zero? As opposed to Diet Coke, which is sweetened with aspartame, Zero uses a blend of aspartame and acesulfame. This actually highlights one of the interesting features of acesulfame, namely that in combination with other sweeteners it masks unpleasant aftertastes, while providing for a synergistic enhancement of sweetness. A combination of acesulfame and aspartame is about three hundred times sweeter than sugar, an improvement over the sweetening ability of the individual compounds. Furthermore, the combination produces a more sugar-like taste. But no matter what safety evidence exists, there will always be critics who say that acesulfame potassium, and indeed most other artificial sweeteners, leave a bad taste in their mouth.