Acesulfame K in alcohol-free beverages in Binh Duong in 2018 and the declaration of Acesulfame K content on labels

Background: Acesulfame-K (ACK) is one of the artificial sweeters in modern diet with low calories content. However, toxicity data of ACK has not yet been studied adequately. The overuse of ACK in food manufacturing is considered a long-term issue for comsumers’ health. Objectives: The aim is to determine ACK contents in alcohol-free beverages and the percentage of enterprises that comply with the ACK declaration on labels of the products sold in Binh Duong province in 2018. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 58 alcohol-free beverage samples with different brands sold in Binh Duong Province from July to October of 2018. Results: The prevalence of alcohol-free beverages containing ACK, which were for sale in Binh Duong Province, was 50 %. The ACK contents varied from 11.85 to 481.7 mg/L with the average of 175.23 ± 113.35 mg/L. The highest average ACK content was found in aroma beverages (208.24 ± 127.89 mg/L) and the lowest one was detected in fruit juices (99.03 ± 92.78 mg/L). There were 65.5% of products containing ACK, nonetheless, ACK was not declared onthe label to consumers and regulatory agencies.