INS 950 is acesulfame potassium (commonly written acesulfame K or ace-K), an intense sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar. On packs it is used in zero-sugar drinks, sugar-free chewing gum, and tabletop sweeteners, often blended with aspartame or sucralose to round out the taste. It is generally vegan and is permitted by FSSAI for specified food categories with restrictions.
INS 950 is acesulfame potassium (commonly written acesulfame K or ace-K), an intense sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar. On packs it is used in zero-sugar drinks, sugar-free chewing gum, and tabletop sweeteners, often blended with aspartame or sucralose to round out the taste.
Brands use it because it adds a clean, fast sweet hit and stays stable through cooking and baking, unlike aspartame which breaks down at high heat. Blending it with other sweeteners avoids the slight bitter aftertaste it can have on its own.
INS 950 commonly shows up on Indian packets in these categories:
Acesulfame K is produced by chemical synthesis. No animal product is used in its manufacture.
FSSAI: Permitted by FSSAI as a non-nutritive sweetener under Schedule I of the FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011 for specified food categories with category-specific upper limits and mandatory label declarations such as 'Contains added sweetener'.
JECFA: ADI raised from 0-9 to 0-15 mg/kg body weight at the 37th JECFA (1991) based on a long-term rat study. EFSA's 2025 re-evaluation increased the ADI further; JECFA has not yet aligned with this revision so the two bodies currently differ.
On packets, in recipes, and in conversation, INS 950 is also called:
Last verified: 2026-04-29.