Analysis of Acesulfame Potassium

Importance of Topic

The accurate analysis of non‐nutritive sweeteners such as acesulfame potassium and saccharin plays a critical role in food safety and regulatory compliance. These compounds are widely used as sugar substitutes in beverages, baked goods, and other food products. Ensuring their correct concentration supports product labelling accuracy and protects consumer health.

Study Objectives and Overview

This application note describes a hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) method for simultaneous separation and quantification of acesulfame potassium and saccharin. The primary goals were to develop a fast, robust, and reproducible assay suitable for routine quality control of sweetener additives in food matrices.

Methodology

The separation was achieved under HILIC conditions, leveraging the high polarity of the target analytes. A dual‐component mobile phase composed of aqueous phosphoric acid and acetonitrile provided optimal retention and peak shape. The method parameters were optimized to balance analysis time, resolution, and sensitivity.

Instrumentation

• Column: Shim‐pack GIST NH2 (250 mm × 4.6 mm I.D., 5 µm)
• Mobile Phase A: 1 % phosphoric acid in water
• Mobile Phase B: Acetonitrile
• Gradient Composition: A/B ratio fixed at 40/60 (v/v)
• Flow Rate: 1.0 mL/min
• Column Temperature: 40 °C
• Detection: UV at 230 nm
• Injection Volume: 3 µL

Main Results and Discussion

The optimized HILIC protocol achieved baseline separation of acesulfame potassium and saccharin within a short run time. Both analytes displayed symmetric peak shapes and high signal‐to‐noise ratios under UV detection. The method demonstrated excellent linearity over typical concentration ranges and satisfactory repeatability, with relative standard deviations below 2 %.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• High selectivity for polar sweetener molecules, reducing interference from common food matrix components.
• Rapid analysis suitable for high‐throughput screening in production laboratories.
• Simple mobile phase composition without the need for ion‐pairing reagents.
• Robust performance under controlled temperature and flow conditions.

Future Trends and Possibilities

Advancements in UHPLC columns with smaller particle sizes could further decrease analysis time and improve resolution. Coupling HILIC separation with mass spectrometric detection may extend the method’s applicability to trace‐level quantification and multi‐sweetener profiling in complex samples.

Conclusion

The presented HILIC method on a Shim‐pack GIST NH2 column provides a reliable, efficient, and user‐friendly approach for the determination of acesulfame potassium and saccharin in food products. Its robustness and simplicity make it well‐suited for routine quality control and regulatory compliance tasks.