E962 – Aspartame-acesulfame

Description

A non-nutritive, high-intensity sweetener that is the salt of aspartame and acesulfame potassium (Acesulfame-K). It is approximately 300-400 times sweeter than sucrose, exhibiting synergistic properties, and is used to replace caloric sweeteners in foods and beverages.

Risks

Notes

Aspartame-acesulfame salt is created by combining two well-known artificial sweeteners—aspartame and acesulfame potassium (acesulfame K)—into a single compound. This combination is made through a process that chemically bonds the two sweeteners together, creating a new ingredient that aims to capture the best qualities of both: aspartame's sugar-like taste and acesulfame K's stability and clean flavor profile. This combination sweetener provides intense sweetness (about 300-400 times sweeter than sugar) and is used in diet soft drinks, sugar-free desserts, tabletop sweeteners, and various low-calorie processed foods. The blended approach helps mask some of the aftertaste issues that can occur when either sweetener is used alone, creating a more rounded, sugar-like sweetness experience. As a synthetic sweetener blend, it's suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets. However, since it contains aspartame, products using this sweetener must carry warnings for people with phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic condition where the body can't process phenylalanine, one of aspartame's breakdown products. The ingredient has been approved by food safety authorities, but like aspartame, it may lose sweetness when exposed to high heat over extended periods.