Acesulfame K is 180-200 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar), assweet as aspartame, about half as sweet as saccharin, and one-quarterthe sweetness of sucralose. Like saccharin, it has a slightly bitteraftertaste, especially at high concentrations. Kraft Foods has patentedthe use of sodium ferulate to mask acesulfames aftertaste.Alternatively, acesulfame K is often blended with other sweeteners(usually sucralose or aspartame). These blends are reputed to give amore sugar-like taste where each sweetener masks the othersaftertaste, and to exhibit a synergistic effect wherein the blend issweeter than its components.Unlike aspartame, acesulfame K is stable under heat, even undermoderately acidic or basic conditions, allowing it to be used inbaking, or in products that require a long shelf life.Popular products containing acesulfame K include Diet Coke Plus, DietRite Cola, 7up Plus, Fruit Shoot, Pepsi Max, Coca-Cola Zero and VanillaCoke Zero, Pepsi ONE, Lilt Zero, Fresca, Diet Coke with Splenda, SpriteZero, Powerade, Trident gum, Wrigleys Spearmint gum,Wrigleys JuicyFruit red gum, some SoBe products, XS Energy Drink, Propel FitnessWater, Bundaberg Diet Ginger Beer, Sugarfree Red Bull, Diet LiptonGreen Tea with Citrus, Diet Arizona Energy Drinks, Danone Silhouettespring water-based beverage, Presidents Choice PC 0 Cola, Nestle PureLife Natural Fruit Flavored Water Beverages, sugarfree Jell-O, MonsterEnergy low carb, 4C Drink Mixes, Equal table sweetener, and Girl ScoutsSugar Free Little Brownies. In carbonated drinks it is almost alwaysused in conjunction with another sweetener, such as aspartame orsucralose. The compound is also popular in protein powders used byathletes and bodybuilders; Optimum Nutritions Whey Gold Standard isone brand of powder that uses Acesulfame K.