Contents
The substance saccharin, saccharinate or additive E954 is one of the first artificially synthesized relatively safe sweeteners. It was first obtained in the second half of the 19th century, during chemical experiments that were not at all related to the development of a sweet substitute for ordinary sugar. Since then, the substance has gone through a path filled with categorical prohibitions and permissions for use, and today it is a popular product designed to improve the lives of diabetics and people who are forced to count calories in their daily diet.
Saccharin is used not only in the manufacture of food products, and, in addition to the property of imparting sweetness, it also has an antiseptic and preservative effect.
The history of the appearance of the substance, methods of obtaining it
Food supplement E954 was obtained by a person by accident. Several scientists in the USA, K. Fahlberg and A. Ramsen, conducted experiments on the synthesis of toluene from coal tar. After one of the experiments, they found that the skin of the hands immediately after the end of the experiments had a sweetish taste, after which they began to analyze which substance could have such an effect.
Thus, the first saccharin, in fact, was obtained from coal. Already in 1885, a patent was received for the invention, and a substance with the properties of a preservative and sweetener appeared on the world market. Since the beginning of the 20th century, it was proposed to produce the supplement as a sugar substitute for diabetics, and later for everyone who wanted to give up traditional sugar. However, in 1907, perhaps under pressure from worried sugar manufacturers, information appeared in the United States that the substance caused damage to internal organs.
The food additive E954 could then be unconditionally banned, but Theodore Roosevelt intervened, and saccharin was “reanimated”, especially since there was no official confirmation of information about its harm at that time.
Given that the United States remained the main consumer of saccharin at that time, and production was mostly in Germany, enterprising Americans founded Monsanto in 1901, a well-known corporation today that produces genetically modified seeds and various products for the military industry. Initially, she specialized just in the production of saccharin, caffeine and vanillin. Today it is a huge global company with the widest range of industries in development and production.
In 1911, there was evidence that when a substance is consumed in an amount of more than 0,3 g, it provokes the appearance of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It was going to be banned again, but the war played its role.
Due to significant human and financial losses, it was not possible to extract the amount of sugar that could satisfy the demand of the population, so the stake was made on saccharin.
A similar situation developed during the Second World War. And although at that time cyclamate had already been invented, because of its danger, it was relegated to the background. This continued until 1969, when, as a result of one of the experiments with laboratory rats and saccharin, malignant tumors of the bladder began to appear in the animals.
Rodents in the course of research received a dose of a substance that a person can get by drinking 350 cans of sweet soda.
From that moment on, it was banned in the United States, and since 1977, after experiments in Canada, all over the world.
Only in 1991, after repeated studies, the ban on the use of the sweetener in some states was lifted.
And from 2000 to this day, it has been allowed in most countries of the world, in Russia, Ukraine, the USA and European countries, however, its daily allowable dose is limited to 5 mg per 1 kilogram of human weight.
There are several methods for synthesizing additives:
- using toluene, which undergoes sulfination with chlorosulfonic acid;
- as a result of reaction with benzyl chloride;
- using the reaction of anthranilic acid with the participation of nitrous acid, sulfur dioxide and copper dichloride.
The first is considered insufficiently effective for industrial scale, and the second leads to the production of a substance with the properties of a carcinogen. To date, a third method is used for the production of saccharin.
Subspecies of the additive E954, its chemical properties
In addition to saccharin itself, its salts are used in industry:
- calcium salt E954ii;
- potassium salt E954iii;
- sodium salt E954iv.
Outwardly, the substance looks like a crystalline powder of a transparent or whitish color. It is poorly soluble in water and alcohol, has a high melting point – from 225 degrees Celsius. The additive is 300-500 times sweeter than regular sugar. Most often it is found in the form of tablets.
In its pure form, the substance is rarely used due to the fact that in large quantities it leaves a metallic aftertaste. For this reason, it is mixed with sucralose or aspartame.
For the production of food products, saccharin is valuable as a flavor and aroma enhancer, anti-flaming, sweetener and partly flavoring agent: it can enhance the natural taste and aroma of products, add sweetness to them, and protect products from burning during heat treatment. The substance has zero calories.
The use of saccharin in industry
As a food ingredient, E954 is found in the following foods:
- juices;
- chewing gums;
- carbonated drinks with zero calories;
- milk products;
- nutrition for diabetics;
- fast food breakfasts;
- bakery and confectionery products.
In addition to the production of food products, the substance is used in the pharmaceutical industry for the manufacture of anti-inflammatory and antibacterial drugs, in the chemical industry for the production of laser printers, machine adhesive for rubber, toners for color printers, herbicides and fungicides.
In toothpastes and mouthwashes, saccharin performs its direct function – to add sweetness to the product.
Impact on human health
In the 20th century, everyone heard the information that saccharin is a carcinogen, disrupts the functioning of the organs of the genitourinary system, and destroys their tissues. Studies conducted using laboratory rats showed the appearance of cancerous tumors in them, however, the dosage of the substance in this case was almost equal to the weight of the animals.
There are some contraindications to the use of products with saccharin – they are not recommended for people with impaired functioning of the bile ducts and gallbladder, children, pregnant women and nursing mothers.
As a weight loss product, saccharin has also not been shown to be particularly effective. Of course, it, in comparison with sugar, has a lower calorie content. However, its content in food leads to an increase in appetite and a decrease in the feeling of satiety from food. As a result, a person may rather gain a couple of extra pounds than get rid of them. However, it depends on the overall design of the power circuit.
It has been proven that the supplement is not an allergen, mutagen or toxin, does not cause caries. It is not absorbed by the body, but is excreted from it through the kidneys in its unchanged form. There is no officially confirmed information that the use of the substance can lead to infertility.
The synthetic sweetener saccharin has a short but eventful history: they tried to ban it several times, but the industry was never able to stop using the E954 additive in products. Its use is due to the fact that the substance has a much sweeter taste than sugar, and its synthesis is inexpensive and carried out in a fast, relatively simple way. Initially, the supplement was positioned as a product for diabetics – it was an opportunity for patients to live a slightly more fulfilling life, eating their favorite sweets, but without dangerous sugar in the composition. Later, it was used in dietary nutrition for losing weight, although today there is evidence that the substance is more likely to cause weight gain.
You can meet the designation “E954” on the labels of sweet carbonated drinks, confectionery, flour and dairy products, cookies. Today it has been established that the food additive does not pose a significant danger to human health, therefore, in doses not exceeding the daily allowance, it is not forbidden to use it for adults.