A method of making sucralose includes maintaining a solution of a
sucralose-6-acylate in an aqueous solvent at a temperature in a range
from -20.degree. C. to 20.degree. C. and at a pH of at least 12.2 and
less than 14.0 for a period of time sufficient to deacylate substantially
all of the sucralose-6-acylate. The method may employ purified
sucralose-6-acylate as the starting material, or the sucralose-6-acylate
may be present in a quenched reaction mixture resulting from chlorination
of a sucrose-6-acylate. The quenched reaction mixture may be exposed to
deacylation conditions either before or after removal of a tertiary amide
that may be present in it. Sucralose is subsequently recovered to
complete the process.