INS 950 is the code for acesulfame potassium
Intense sweetener about 200 times as sweet as sugar. Usually blended with sucralose or aspartame because it has a bitter edge alone.
- What it does
- Sweetens it A sweetener
- Also printed as
- Acesulfame K · Ace-K
- Vegetarian?
- Vegetarian Made chemically
- In the Zabel score
- 6 of the 20 additive points Method 1.0.0
- In our catalogue
- 39 packs List it in their ingredients
Is INS 950 vegetarian?
INS 950 is made chemically, so it does not by itself make a food non-vegetarian. The green or brown mark on the pack is still the declaration to go by, because it covers every other ingredient too.
| Food category | Share | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Carbonated soft drinks | 63% | |
| Other beverages | 17% | |
| Sweets and candy | 13% | |
| Energy and sports drinks | 7% |
Counted from the 39 packs in Zabel's catalogue that list INS 950, 30 of which have a food category so far. Counted 4 Nov 2026.
What does the evidence say about INS 950?
We grade an additive by the evidence about it, not by whether it sounds like a chemical, and we make no claim about whether a pack complies with FSSAI rules.
JECFA has set an ADI of 15 mg/kg body weight and reviews have not found evidence of harm at permitted levels. The WHO 2023 guideline advises against using non-sugar sweeteners to control body weight, on evidence that they do not help long-term.
Does Zabel mark INS 950 down?
Yes, by 6 points. The additives part of the score starts at 20, and each code takes off a fixed amount set by the strength of the evidence about it, not by the fact that it is an additive (method 1.0.0). Read the method.
Questions people search
What is INS 950?
INS 950 is the code for acesulfame potassium, a sweetener. Intense sweetener about 200 times as sweet as sugar. Usually blended with sucralose or aspartame because it has a bitter edge alone.
Is INS 950 vegetarian?
INS 950 is made chemically, so it does not by itself make a food non-vegetarian. The green or brown mark on the pack is still the declaration to go by, because it covers every other ingredient too.
What does the evidence say about INS 950?
JECFA has set an ADI of 15 mg/kg body weight and reviews have not found evidence of harm at permitted levels. The WHO 2023 guideline advises against using non-sugar sweeteners to control body weight, on evidence that they do not help long-term.
Does Zabel mark INS 950 down?
Yes, by 6 points. The additives part of the score starts at 20, and each code takes off a fixed amount set by the strength of the evidence about it, not by the fact that it is an additive (method 1.0.0).
What other names is INS 950 printed under?
Packs also print it as Acesulfame K and Ace-K, or as the bare number 950 in brackets after the ingredient.
Sources
- 01 Evaluations of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) WHO / FAO, 2024
- 02 WHO guideline: Use of non-sugar sweeteners World Health Organization, 2023
- 03 Zabel catalogue - pack counts, food categories and the codes printed alongside 4 Nov 2026
Entry updated 19 Sep 2026 · Not reviewed by a dietitian yet · Report an error on this page
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