Key Properties and Applications of Saccharin in Chemistry
Almost 150 years ago people discovered saccharin accidentally. Since then it has become an alternative to sugar to sweeten various foods and beverages. A few decades ago some animal research linked saccharin with health issues, leading to a decline in the substance’s popularity. However, later studies suggested that there was no confirmed link found to cancer in humans.
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What is Saccharin?
Companies use saccharin sweetener as a non-nutritive or artificial sweetener. In the year 1879, people first discovered the substance by accident. Its use became widespread during the times of World War I because of the sugar shortage. During the 1960s, marketers started promoting saccharin sweetener as a weight loss product under the trade name Sweet and Low. Through several chemical processes, manufacturers make saccharin using the chemical toluene or anthranilic acid as the base ingredient. The process gives out a white, crystalline powder that is stable under a range of conditions.
Saccharin sweetener has three forms:
Acid saccharin
Sodium saccharin
Calcium saccharin
Sodium saccharin is most popular in artificial sweeteners though few people find it to be a bitter, and metallic aftertaste. However, humans cannot metabolize saccharin, which means saccharin sweet does not add energy, calories, or carbohydrates to a person. Hence, diabetic patients or those who want to lose weight choose saccharin sweet as an alternative to sugar. A tiny amount to sweeten foods is enough as it is 300–500 times sweeter than regular sugar.
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Use of Saccharin
The primary use of saccharin is as a calorie-free sweetener. Manufacturers usually combine it with other sweeteners, like aspartame, to combat its bitter taste.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorizes saccharin for use as a sweetening agent in items like beverages, fruit juice drinks, drink bases, or mixes, as a sugar substitute for cooking or table use, also in processed foods.
They also authorize saccharin for industrial purposes, which includes:
To enhance the flavour in chewable vitamins as well as mineral tablets.
To retain the taste and physical properties of chewing gum.
To improve the flavour of ingredients in bakery products.
Food and Drink Sources
It has no associations with cancer. The use of saccharin is not as widespread today. The discovery of new sweeteners with no bitter aftertaste led to saccharin’s decline in popularity. Saccharin still appears in the ingredients of various foods and drinks like bakery products, candy, chewing gum, desserts, jelly, salad dressings. The use of saccharin in beverages is limited to the acceptable amount to less than 12 milligrams (mg) per fluid ounce by the FDA for manufacturers. Saccharin cannot exceed 30 mg per serving size in processed foods.
Sweetener
People can buy saccharin as a liquid or granule table sweetener. They can be bought with the brand names such as Sweet and Low, Sweet Twin, Sugar Twin, Sweet’N Low, Necta Sweet.
Other uses of saccharin. Many companies use saccharin to produce non-food items such as cosmetics, chewing tobacco, and snuff, pharmaceuticals, and cattle feed.
Other Sweeteners
The FDA considers saccharin to be a high-intensity sweetener because it is many times sweeter than sugar. The FDA approved sweeteners are as follows:
Aspartame: Aspartame contains calories and may be considered a nutritive sweetener. Because it is 200 times sweeter than sugar, people need a small amount. It is not heat-stable, hence it is not used in baked goods. It can be used as a table sweetener, in cereals, puddings, dairy products, and also in beverages.
Acesulfame Potassium: This non-nutritive sweetener is often used in frozen desserts, drinks, and baked goods. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar, and manufacturers usually combine it with other sweeteners.
Sucralose: This is a non-nutritive sweetener and is about 600 times sweeter than sugar. It stays heat-stable, and therefore it can be a substitute for sugar in baked goods.
Neotame: This is a non-nutritive sweetener and 13,000 times sweeter than sugar. It is very heat-stable even at extreme temperatures.
What is Sodium Saccharin?
Sodium saccharin is a solid form of artificial sweetener saccharin. Saccharin is non-nutritive. It is used to add sweetness to beverages and foods without calories or the detrimental effects of consuming sugar. It helps you reduce your consumption of sugar. High sugar consumption can lead to Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases.
FAQs on What is Saccharin?
1. What is saccharin from a chemical standpoint?
From a chemical standpoint, saccharin is an artificial sweetener with the chemical name ortho-sulfobenzimide. It is a derivative of toluene or o-sulfamoylbenzoic acid and exists as a white crystalline solid. Unlike sugar (a carbohydrate), saccharin is a non-nutritive substance, meaning the human body cannot metabolise it to produce energy.
2. What are the common uses of saccharin in food and other products?
Saccharin is primarily used as a zero-calorie sugar substitute. Its most common applications include:
- Beverages: Diet soft drinks, fruit juices, and powdered drink mixes.
- Food Products: Low-calorie jams, jellies, baked goods, and candies.
- Tabletop Sweeteners: Sold in packets or tablets to sweeten coffee and tea.
- Pharmaceuticals: Used to mask the unpleasant taste of certain medicines and in products like toothpaste and mouthwash.
3. Why is saccharin approximately 300-400 times sweeter than regular sugar?
The intense sweetness of saccharin is due to its molecular structure. Its shape fits almost perfectly into the sweet taste receptors (specifically the T1R2-T1R3 receptors) on the tongue. This strong binding interaction triggers a powerful nerve signal to the brain, which is perceived as intense sweetness, even at very low concentrations compared to sucrose (regular sugar).
4. Does consuming saccharin raise blood sugar levels?
No, consuming saccharin does not raise blood sugar levels. Because it is a non-nutritive sweetener, the human body does not break it down or absorb it as a carbohydrate. It passes through the digestive system unchanged and is excreted. This makes it a suitable sugar alternative for individuals with diabetes who need to manage their blood glucose levels.
5. What was the historical controversy regarding the safety of saccharin?
The controversy dates back to the 1970s when studies showed that extremely high doses of saccharin caused bladder cancer in male rats. However, subsequent research revealed that the cancer-causing mechanism was specific to rats and did not apply to humans. Based on extensive human population studies showing no link to cancer, major health organisations, including the U.S. National Toxicology Program, have delisted saccharin as a potential carcinogen. It is now considered safe for human consumption by over 100 countries.
6. How does saccharin compare to other artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose?
Saccharin, aspartame, and sucralose differ in several key aspects:
- Sweetness: Saccharin is 300-400x sweeter than sugar. Aspartame is about 200x sweeter, and sucralose is about 600x sweeter.
- Heat Stability: Saccharin and sucralose are heat-stable, making them suitable for baking. Aspartame is not heat-stable and loses its sweetness when heated.
- Aftertaste: Saccharin is known for having a characteristic bitter or metallic aftertaste at high concentrations, while aspartame and sucralose generally do not.
7. What is the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for saccharin?
The Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for saccharin, established by regulatory bodies like the FDA, is 5 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of body weight. For an adult weighing 70 kg (approx. 154 lbs), the ADI would be 350 mg per day. This is a conservative limit and is an amount that can be safely consumed daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk.
8. Why is saccharin often sold as its sodium or calcium salt?
Saccharin in its acidic form is not very soluble in water. To improve its solubility for use in beverages and food products, it is converted into a salt, most commonly sodium saccharin or calcium saccharin. This conversion significantly increases its solubility in water, making it much easier to incorporate evenly into recipes and commercial products without altering its sweetening properties.
