sacharine

Saccharin, also spelled saccharine, is a synthetic, non-nutritive sweetener used to sweeten foods and beverages. It is about 300 to 400 times sweeter than sucrose and contains no usable calories. Commercial saccharin is typically used in the form of its sodium salt, sodium saccharin, or as calcium saccharin, and it is valued for its stability under heat and acidic conditions.

The compound was discovered in 1879 by Constantin Fahlberg at Johns Hopkins University, while he was working with coal-tar derivatives. He reportedly noticed the sweetness on his fingers after a laboratory meeting and named the substance saccharin. It gained widespread use in the early to mid-20th century, especially during periods of sugar shortages and during World War II. In the 1970s and 1980s, animal studies suggested a potential cancer risk in rats, which led to temporary warnings and labeling requirements in some countries; the controversy ultimately led to more comprehensive regulatory review.

Saccharin is used to sweeten a wide range of food and beverage products, including soft drinks, fruit juices, baked goods, jams, dairy products, candies, and some medicines and toothpaste. It is preferred in many diet products because it adds sweetness without calories and remains stable at high temperatures.

Safety and regulation: Health authorities generally consider saccharin safe at typical consumption levels. The FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives has set an acceptable daily intake of about 0-5 mg/kg body weight per day. The U.S. FDA removed warning-label requirements in the 2000s, and IARC classifies saccharin as not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity in humans (Group 3).