Ace-K: What is it?

Sometimes when I have that rare soda craving I go towards Coke Zero or on the other end of the spectrum Zevia. Both are zero calorie sodas with Coke Zero containing aspartame and acesulfame K (aka Ace-K) and Zevia containing stevia. No matter your thoughts on which sweetener is best for you, one of these is creeping into your food/beverage source somehow. Curious by nature, I decided to Google acesulfame K and the amount of information out there about it is disconcerting. I get why both Stevia and Ace-K are part of beverages because everyone wants something clean label and sweet — very few would prefer salty soda but maybe that’s a possibility in the near future too, who knows? — but are these ingredients the best way to get the sweetness profile one is looking for? There is very little research showing the safety of Ace-K long term so how much of this should you consume? Since it is bitter by itself, Ace-K is usually blended with sucralose or aspartame to give you that sweetness and that way your Coke Zero can taste a little more like regular Coke. Just like aspartame and its negative press, what happens when Ace-K breaks down in the body? Yup, you’re right it! It could be linked to cancer and altered brain functioning but remember there isn’t enough research on the long term effects of Ace-K. Interesting tidbit is that just like Coke Zero, Ace-K is now going to be in the 4 new Diet Coke flavors. Out of curiosity, I probably will try them just to see what they taste like but it probably won’t be my go to when I crave that soda. So what should I do as a consumer? Satisfy my craving with Coke Zero, one can can’t harm me right? Or should I take Zevia which also has a clean label but has stevia instead? Most likely, I’ll stick with Zevia — plus, they have some great flavors. For the larger consumer base, if you don’t know what an ingredient, you could Google it and then decide for yourself if you should be consuming a controversial ingredient or not. It all comes down to what is good for your body and how much of this ingredient you’ll be consuming on a daily basis.

Disclaimer: this is an opinion post and should not be taken as an endorsement or lack of for any product by me or my employer.