The Evolution of Saccharin: From Laboratory Mishap to Artificial Sweetness Revolution

Saccharin, the first widely commercialized non-nutritive sweetener, has a fascinating history that traces back to an accidental discovery in 1879 by Constantin Fahlberg and Ira Remsen at John Hopkins University. Engaged in research on the oxidation mechanisms of toluene sulfonamide, the chemists stumbled upon saccharin while working with coal-tar derivatives. It was during one of these experiments that a sweet taste was detected by Fahlberg after the substance inadvertently splashed onto his finger.

Prompted by this serendipitous encounter, Fahlberg and Remsen embarked on the synthesis of saccharin from o-sulfamoylbenzoic acid. Their collaboration resulted in groundbreaking research papers and the establishment of saccharin factories, one near Magdeburg, Germany, and another in the United States. This discovery marked a significant milestone for food manufacturers and consumers alike, especially those with diabetes seeking a calorie-free alternative for sweetening their foods and beverages.

Saccharin's true potential emerged during periods of sugar scarcity, notably during World Wars I and II, when it enjoyed immense commercial success. As the world grappled with sugar shortages, saccharin became a valuable substitute, heralding a new era in sweetening alternatives.

The post-World War II era saw saccharin's popularity soar further, particularly with the burgeoning interest in weight control during the 1960s. Marketed under the trade name Sweet'n Low, saccharin gained traction as a weight-loss aid, cementing its status as a staple in the modern diet.

However, saccharin faced a significant setback in 1997 when the FDA proposed a ban due to concerns over its carcinogenic properties in laboratory animals. Foods containing saccharin were mandated to carry warning labels, raising public apprehension about its safety.

Nevertheless, further research and rigorous testing led to the official declaration of saccharin's safety by the FDA in 2001, resulting in the removal of the ban. Subsequently, in 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency removed saccharin from its list of hazardous substances, reaffirming its safety for human consumption.

In conclusion, the history of saccharin exemplifies the transformative power of scientific serendipity and its impact on modern food technology. From its accidental discovery in a laboratory to its pivotal role in shaping dietary habits worldwide, saccharin continues to symbolize the enduring quest for healthier, low-calorie alternatives to sugar.
The Evolution of Saccharin: From Laboratory Mishap to Artificial Sweetness Revolution

History of sucralose

Sucralose is a sucrose molecule in which three of the hydroxyl groups have been replaced by Cl atoms. Sucralose is very heat stable and can be obtained in powdered form for use in cooking and baking applications.

Sucralose was accidentally discovered by Tate & Lyle in 1976, when scientists found a way to molecularly bond sucrose molecules with chlorine. At that time the company was looking for ways to use sucrose as a chemical intermediate.

Tate & Lyle PLC, a British global supplier of food and beverage ingredients to industrial markets, was working with researchers Leslie Hough and Shashikant Phadnis at Queen Elizabeth College (now part of King's College London).

On a late-summer day, Phadnis was told to test the powder. Phadnis thought that Hough asked him to taste it; so he did. He found the compound to be exceptionally sweet.

Ironically, sucralose states out as cane sugar but ends up 600 times sweeter than table sugar. Sucralose was approved in April 1998 by the FDA as a tabletop sweetener and for use in a number of desserts, confections, and nonalcoholic beverages. In 1999, sucralose was approved as a general-purpose sweetener.

The companies Tate & Lyle and Johnson & Johnson then jointly developed Splenda products. It was introduced in the United States in 1999 and is one of the most popular sweeteners in the country. Splenda has replaced NutraSweet as the most widely consumed sugar substitute on the market.
History of sucralose

Discovery of Cyclamate

In 1937 Michael Sveda a graduate student at the University of Illinois was working in the lab on the synthesis of anti-fever medication.

One day in the laboratory of Prof. Audrieth, he picked up a cigarette lying on his lab bench, put it in his mouth, and discovered that it tasted surprisingly sweet.

Sveda then tasted every substance in sight and traced the sweetness to a compound known as sodium cyclohexylsulfamate. Five years later, Sveda and his professor obtained a patent and assigned the rights to DuPont, Sveda's new employer.

Michael Sveda

After some initial development by duPont, cyclamate was taken up (under licence) by Abbott Laboratories, a pharmaceutical firm in North Chicago that hope to produce a sweetener suitable for diabetics and other people on sugar restricted diets.

This substance, which proved to be approximately 30 times sweeter than sugar, was first marketed in 1949 as sodium cyclamate in tablet form for use by diabetics.

In 1953, a mixture of 10 parts cyclamate to 1 part saccharin largely replaced the cyclamate-only product, because taste panels had judged that combination to be more palatable.

Sodium cyclamate

Cyclamate is generally used in foods as either the sodium or calcium salt. Since 1937, many other sulfamates have been synthesized, although none have been developed for use in foods.

In November 1959, cyclamate was place in the Food and Drug Administration’s list of GRAS. Cyclamate is approved as a sweetener in at least 130 countries while it is currently banned in the United States.
Discovery of Cyclamate

History of miracle fruit

This small red berry has been used in West Africa to improve the taste of acidic foods. Since the miracle fruit itself has no distinct taste, this tasty modifying function of the fruit had been regarded as a miracle.

This little red berry was first mentioned in the 18th century diary of explorer Chevalier des Marchais. The dotro who assembled his journals (published as Voyage du Chevalier des Marchais en Guinea, en 1725) wrote that, “Chewed without being swallowed, it has the property of sweetening that which one can put afterwards in the mouth which is sour or bitter.”

In 1852, the chemist W. F. Daniell was the first European to scientifically study it and he gave the name ‘miraculous berry’.

The so-called ‘miracle berry’ was rediscovered in the 1920s by a US Department of Agriculture collecting expedition. It is an ornamental shrub, usually branched with dense foliage that gr0ws no higher than 6 feet and bears several crops each year.

It took until 1968, for separate groups of scientists to isolate the berry’s active ingredients. In 1968, Beidler in Tallahassee and independently – H. van der Wel at the Unilever Research Laboratories in Vlaardingen, Holland, showed the active principle of miracle fruit to be a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 44 000. It has been named miraculin.

In 1974, a petition for affirmation of the GRAS status of miracle fruit was submitted by the Miralin Company, mainly based on the fact that miracle fruits have been consumed by human since before 1958. In 1977, the petition was denied by the FDA.
History of miracle fruit