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 "I
would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent
less time proving that he can outwit nature and more time tasting her
sweetness and respecting her seniority."
-E.B. White on the sweetness of nature
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Man, Science, Nature and the Quest for Sweetness...
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The History of Sweeteners The history of saccharin and the quest for sweeteners goes back thousands of years. As early as 2500 B.C. Egyptians were actively producing mass quantities of sweetener solely for culinary purposes. Early civilizations used honey, fruits and date syrup to sweeten foods. Natural cane sugar first came about in India circa 4000 B.C. In the Indian culture sugar was held as one of the seven stable necessities of mankind. In Hindu myth fresh water, salt, butter, milk, yogurt, wine, and sugar represented seven mystical seas of produce that sustain life. Upon its introduction into the Roman empire sugar was at first viewed as more of a medicinal substance and not as qualified to sweeten foods as honey. Sugar slowly gained popularity and spread across Europe, Asia, Africa, and eventually to the New World. One of the main reasons for the massive Caribbean slave trade was to sustain sugar plantations. The Discovery of Saccharin Saccharin was the first artificial sweetener to be discovered but was actually done so by accident. In 1878 during experiments on toluene derivatives, a substance in coal tar, two scientists at Johns Hopkins University noticed a sweet taste on their hands. A German, Constantin Fahlberg and an American, Ira Remsen later determined the substance to be the new compound saccharin. In 1900 Saccharin hit the shelves with great success. Saccharin has since been called everything from "the end of dieting" to the most dangerous substance ever to be foisted upon an unsuspecting public." Saccharin Meets the American Public The chemical giant Monsanto was founded in St. Louis in 1901 by John F. Queeny for the sole purpose of producing saccharin. In 1903 Monsanto began shipping its saccharin to Georgia to a little known company called Coca-Cola. In 1958 saccharin climbed higher up the shelves of the American super-market and deeper into the American stomach with the introduction of "Sweet'N Low." Marvin Eisenstadt, the owner of Cumberland Packing Company in Brooklyn, N.Y. introduced the sweetener (mixed with cyclamate to counter the metallic aftertaste of saccharin) in the small packet form. The present formula has been altered because of a ban on cyclamate but the main ingredient is still saccharin. While controversy was a large part of the history of saccharin, and for the most part has been resolved, the debate over its safety continues today. Read more about Saccharin as a Carcinogen... |