A Real Look at an Artificial Sweetener

Saccharin, sometimes referred to as benzosulfamide, is an ionically bonded artificial sweetener used in many food products such as baked foods, salad dressings, jams, toothpaste, mouthwash, and chewing gum. Saccharin is a white crystal. It is also widely used as a sugar substitute such as "Sweet'N Low." Saccharin is valued because it is not metabolized by the human body and therefore does not contribute to daily calorie in-take. It is also 300 to 500 times sweeter than natural processed cane-sugar. Saccharin is the oldest artificial sweetener dating back to its discovery in 1878. 

(Quinn, Lynn A. PhD.)

   The chemical formula for saccharin is C₇H₅NO₃S. The molar mass for saccharin is 183.19 grams per mole. Saccharin consists mostly of carbon; carbon makes up 45.89% of the composition of saccharin by mass. The mass of saccharin is also 2.75% hydrogen, 7.65% nitrogen, 26.20% oxygen, and 17.50% sulfur. By number saccharin is 41% carbon, 29% hydrogen, 6% nitrogen, 18% oxygen, and 6% sulfur. Saccharin melts at 228.8° to 229.7° C. Structurally, saccharin is made up of two connected rings; the first ring is a phenyl ring and the second is a 5 membered ring with a nitrogen, a carboxyl group, and a sulfone group beside the nitrogen. Due to the presence of a nitrogen, the molecule is heterocyclic.

   If temperatures rise above  300° C saccharin will boil. Saccharin's relative low level of reactance makes this substance ideal for cooking because it remains stable at high temperatures. Saccharin can also be dissolved easily into water, another good quality for food preparation. It is non-reactive in water at temperatures of as much as 150° C and at common pH levels measuring anywhere from 2 to 7. It's natural density is 0.828 g/mL. The hydrogen bond is what reacts to cause the sensation of a sweet taste in the mouth. Upon digestion saccharin does not break down; it remains unchanged throughout digestion.   

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