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ATLANTA --The approval of acesulfame potassium’s use in soft drinks, announced today by the Food and Drug Administration, is sweet news to the 87 million diet soft drink consumers in the U.S., according to the Calorie Control Council.

“American consumers will finally get to taste what people in Canada and Europe have been enjoying for years,” said Lyn Nabors, executive vice president of the Council. “Acesulfame potassium’s use in soft drinks opens the door to a whole new world of options, including blends of low-calorie sweeteners that closely match the taste of sugar, without the calories.”

Currently, 144 million American adults consume low-calorie, sugar-free products on a regular basis, according to a 1998 national survey commissioned by the Council. The survey shows that the majority of current consumers want additional diet soft drink choices. Historically, calorie-conscious individuals have used products containing low-calorie sweeteners for help in weight control or to eat a healthier diet without having to sacrifice their favorite foods and beverages. Today, the primary reason for using these products is “to stay in better overall health,” the survey found.

“Diet soft drinks consistently rank as the most popular low-calorie food or beverage in our surveys,” Nabors said. “For that reason, acesulfame potassium’s approval is welcome news, and a new reason for Americans to keep loving their favorite low-calorie product.”

Acesulfame potassium (brand name SunettTM) is a non-caloric sweetener that is approximately 200 times sweeter than sucrose (so very small amounts are needed to achieve the same sweetness intensity as sugar). FDA first approved acesulfame potassium for dry uses in 1988. Since then, FDA has broadened its approval, and the sweetener is now approved for use in about 20 product categories in the U.S. These include chewing gum, candy, desserts, baked goods, yogurt, gelatin and as a tabletop sweetener. Worldwide, acesulfame potassium is approved for use in more than 4,000 products in about 90 countries.

Acesulfame potassium’s safety has been confirmed by more than 90 studies and the World Health Organization’s Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives has endorsed the sweetener’s safety. FDA has reaffirmed acesulfame potassium’s safety on eight separate occasions by broadening its approval. Just last month, the American Dietetic Association published its position statement on sweeteners (including a review of acesulfame potassium) and concluded that “nonnutritive sweeteners are safe for use by most persons within the approved guidelines [Dietary Guidelines for Americans].”

According to the Council, acesulfame potassium offers “tremendous potential” for new diet soft drinks as a complement to the other approved low-calorie sweeteners. Especially as part of a sweetener blend, acesulfame potassium’s soft drink approval will provide products with improved taste, increased stability, lower manufacturing costs, and ultimately, more choices for calorie-conscious consumers, the Council said.

The Council is an international non-profit association of manufacturers of low-calorie, reduced-fat, diet and light foods and beverages. For further information on acesulfame potassium and other low-calorie sweeteners, visit the award-winning Calorie Control Web site, at http://www.caloriecontrol.org

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