Saccharin is a low-calorie sweetener that some people use in place of sugar. Considerably sweeter than sucrose, it has no food value and no calories, and is not digested by the human body. Saccharin is sold under several different brand names as a sugar substitute and also may be used to sweeten candy, gum, soda, juice, jams and other products.
History
Initially discovered in 1879 by scientists at Johns Hopkins University, saccharin is the oldest low-calorie sweetener on the market. Saccharin gained popularity during the First and Second World Wars, and despite controversy as to its safety, it has remained a popular sugar substitute. However, it is now in competition with other sweeteners including aspartame, sucralose, neotame, acesulfame potassium and stevia.
Identification
Because of laboratory tests in which saccharin caused bladder cancer in rats, the sweetener was feared to also pose a threat of cancer in humans. The FDA proposed a ban against its use. However, in November 1977, Congress passed the Saccharin Study and Labeling Act to stop the FDA from banning saccharin. Instead, any product containing the sweetener was required by law to have a warning label that stated that the product caused cancer in laboratory animals and might be hazardous to the user's health.
Insight
Safety studies found no evidence to prove that saccharin causes cancer in people. Saccharin lacks two of the major characteristics of carcinogens. It is not metabolized by the body, and it does not react with DNA.
Significance
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Calorie Control Council requested that the National Toxicology Program review saccharin in 1997. Stating that the research showed saccharin was safe for human consumption, the council wanted to remove warnings from products containing the sweetener. In 2000, the NTP determined that saccharin was safe and should no longer be listed as a potential cancer-causing agent. The warning label was removed from foods the following year and has not since been required.
Considerations
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit organization, maintains its view that saccharin is still an additive that should be avoided, because it is questionable and has low nutritional value. There are also unsupported claims that saccharin may cause allergic reactions in some people, significantly those who cannot tolerate sulfa drugs. The symptoms they might experience include headaches, breathing difficulties, skin eruptions and diarrhea.
Tags: that saccharin, containing sweetener, low-calorie sweetener, saccharin safe, some people
