Friday, April 27, 2012

AK Sweetener

What is AK Sweetener?
AK Sweetener, or Acesulfame K, Acesulfame potassium, Ace K, is an artificial sugar sweetener which is around 200 times sweeter than the normal sucrose sugar. It has been approved for use since 1988 and is sold under the trade names Sweet One and Sunett. It has been widely used in the baking industry to make sugar free chocolate chips or cookies, yogurts, puddings, gums, in canned foods or for products requiring longer shelf life. Since its aftertaste is slightly bitter, it is used in combinations with other artificial sweeteners, especially for preparing aerated drinks.
I am sure you all must be aware of artificial sugar sweeteners which are an inevitable part of the “sugar free” fad going on. But here let us concentrate on AK Sweetener.
AK Sweetener Side Effects
Though used widely, AK Sweetener is a controversial artificial sweetener. It is thought of to cause many side effects in humans. It is thought of being carcinogenic, since it contains methylene chloride, a carcinogen. Various experiments on rodents have shown and proven that AK Sweetener causes lung, breast tumors as well as different types of leukemias and chronic respiratory diseases. Experimentation on humans is not possible and hence it’s difficult to comment on AK Sweetener dangers in humans. Till now, there is no evidence of acesulfame being fatal, excluding the side effects, acesulfame potassium actually acts as an excellent sweetener and food additives foodchem. It imparts number of benefits to the food and beverage industry. Let’s talk about the benefits of acesulfame potassium.
As I mentioned earlier, AK Sweetener is a calorie free sugar sweetener.
It acts as a sweetener for diabetic patients.
It doesn’t cause tooth decays or any related problems which normal sugars would.
It confers the required taste in foods without getting absorbed and metabolized in the body tissues and is thus, excreted directly. Hence, acesulfame potassium does not increase the appetite and also the body weight.
It has rapid solubility and is heat stable which increases its popularity.
It has stable pH value and does not contain sodium ions.
It adds a nice flavor to the products and enhances their taste as well.
It has a longer shelf life so can be used for storage foods.
It is safe to consume for pregnant females, if they are hesitant towards caloric foods.
AK Sweetener Safety
After reading the above paragraphs, you might be wondering, ‘is acesulfame potassium safe to consume?’ This is the most important debatable question about this sweetener which is very difficult to answer. Actually, the fact is that many people believe it is, and many don’t. But the answer is, AK Sweetener is very much safe to consume. The Joint [WHO (World Health Organization) and FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)] Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the United Nation, after many experimentation’s and analysis have granted safety for consuming acesulfame potassium. Also, the United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have given green signal in the use of AK Sweetener for humans. Many National Health Authorities from over many countries use acesulfame potassium in many of their food and beverage industries since it is recommended. Research is still on. So, foolproof commenting is not possible right now.
To sum up, I would say that don’t hesitate to consume and use AK Sweetener. It is a very good sugar substitute. One should understand that these well-known organizations recommend and allow only those foods for manufacture and sell, which are safe for the common man. So what you can do is, just trust them. All the best!

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