There is provided a method for the production of sucralose from a feed stream resulting from the chlorination of a sucrose-6-acylate in a reaction vehicle, said feed stream comprising a sucralose-6-acylate, the reaction vehicle, and by-products including high molecular weight coloured material, said method comprising: deacylation of the sucralose-6-acylate by treatment with a base to afford sucralose, and, before or after said deacylation, removal of the reaction vehicle and isolation of the sucralosecharacterised in that immediately before the removal of the reaction vehicle, the reaction stream is subjected to a precipitation step comprising treatment with a metal or ammonium hydroxide and carbon dioxide to form a precipitate of the corresponding metal or ammonium carbonate in which at least a portion of said high molecular weight coloured material is trapped, followed by separation of said precipitate.