Saccharin and its sodium, potassium and calcium salts
Score impact
-0.50
points/product
Description
Saccharin (E954) is an intense artificial sweetener, discovered in 1879 by chemists Constantin Fahlberg and Ira Remsen at Johns Hopkins University. It is the oldest artificial sweetener and is widely used in foods and beverages. Industrially, saccharin is obtained by chemical synthesis from toluene or phthalic anhydride. The most common process involves sulfonation of toluene followed by oxidation and cyclization to form saccharin. The sodium, potassium, and calcium salts are produced by neutralizing saccharin with the corresponding bases.
Saccharin is a white crystalline powder, odorless, with a sweetening power 300 to 500 times that of sugar (sucrose). It is heat-stable and stable at acidic pH, making it suitable for baked goods and carbonated beverages. Its main function is to sweeten without adding calories, being useful for people with diabetes or those seeking to reduce sugar consumption.
In the European Union, saccharin was approved as a food additive following Directive 94/35/EC and is currently regulated by Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) has re-evaluated saccharin several times, most recently in 2019, establishing an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 5 mg/kg body weight. WHO, through the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), has also evaluated saccharin and set the same ADI.
The overall safety assessment is that saccharin is safe for human consumption at authorized levels. Although in the 1970s it was associated with bladder cancer in rats, later studies showed that this effect is species-specific and not relevant to humans. Saccharin must be labeled as 'sweetener: saccharin' or 'E954' in the ingredient list. In some countries, such as the United States, the FDA considers it safe (GRAS) and has not required a warning since 2000. In the EU, there is no obligation to include additional warnings, although moderate consumption within the ADI is recommended.
Saccharin (E954) is used in a wide variety of foods and beverages as a tabletop sweetener, in sugar-free soft drinks, dairy desserts, ice cream, confectionery, jams, sauces, and bakery products.
In the Spanish market, it is commonly found in tabletop sweeteners such as 'Sacarina' in sachets or liquid, in light soft drinks like Coca-Cola Zero (although it currently uses a blend of sweeteners), and in products for diabetics. According to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, maximum usage limits vary by food category. For example, in flavored non-alcoholic beverages, the limit is 80 mg/l (expressed as free saccharin); in dairy desserts, 100 mg/kg; in confectionery, 500 mg/kg; and in tabletop sweeteners, quantum satis (sufficient quantity).
Compared to the FDA, the United States allows its use in foods and beverages without specific limits, but with good manufacturing practices. Japan also authorizes saccharin, but with stricter restrictions in some products.
Saccharin is often used in combination with other sweeteners (such as cyclamate or aspartame) to improve the taste profile, as it can leave a metallic aftertaste at high concentrations.
Documented side effects of saccharin are limited. In animal studies, very high doses (equivalent to hundreds of times the ADI) were associated with an increase in bladder tumors in male rats, but this effect is attributed to a species-specific mechanism (formation of calcium silicate crystals in urine) that does not occur in humans. EFSA and WHO conclude that saccharin is not carcinogenic to humans at usual consumption levels. In humans, some studies have reported mild allergic reactions (urticaria, photosensitivity) in sensitive individuals, but these are rare.
No adverse effects on metabolism, blood glucose, or gut microbiota have been demonstrated. Sensitive populations: people with phenylketonuria have no restriction with saccharin (unlike aspartame). No significant drug interactions are known. The ADI of 5 mg/kg/day is widely safe; for example, a 70 kg person could consume up to 350 mg/day, equivalent to about 175 g of sugar in sweetening power.
In conclusion, EFSA and WHO consider saccharin safe at authorized levels. However, some consumers prefer to avoid it due to its synthetic origin or metallic aftertaste.
- Sodium saccharin
- Potassium saccharin
- Calcium saccharin
- 2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one 1,1-dioxide
- o-sulfobenzimide
- Soluble saccharin
Products in our Spanish database containing this additive
Examples found in ComerClaro Spanish product database
Product names and supermarket data may appear in Spanish.
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