Acesulfame is a non-nutritive sweetener Acesulfame potassium is a calorie-free artificial sweetener, also known as Acesulfame K or Ace K (K being the symbol for potassium), and marketed under the trade names Sunett and Sweet One. In the European Union, it is known under the E number (additive code) E950. It was discovered accidentally in 1967 by German chemist Karl Clauss at Hoechst AG (now Nutrinova). In chemical structure, acesulfame potassium is the potassium salt of 6-methyl-1,2,3- oxathiazine-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide. Acesulfame K has been approved for a variety of uses in more than 90 countries. In 1998, the FDA broadened the US approval of acesulfame K to allow its use in nonalcoholic beverages. It is often blended with sucralose and used to decrease the bitter aftertaste of aspartame. A wide range of low-calorie foods and drinks contain acesulfame K, including table-top sweeteners, chewing gum, jam, dairy products, frozen desserts, drinks and baked goods. Acesulfame K is not broken down when digested, nor is it stored in the body. After being consumed, it is quickly absorbed by the body and then rapidly excreted, unchanged.