Allervibe
E954
Saccharin
The oldest artificial sweetener, roughly 300 to 500 times sweeter than sugar.
i Additive Details
| Is E954 Saccharin safe?
Rat studies in the 1970s linked high doses of saccharin to bladder tumours, and products in the United States carried a warning label for two decades. The mechanism was later shown to depend on a urinary protein that rats have and humans do not, so the finding is not considered relevant to people; the US warning requirement was removed in 2000 and saccharin was delisted as a suspected human carcinogen. Saccharin is a sulfonamide derivative and there are occasional reports of skin reactions in people sensitive to sulfonamide drugs, though cross-reactivity is not established.
| Uses
Used in tabletop sweeteners, diet soft drinks, sugar-free chewing gum, reduced-sugar preserves and some medicines. It is stable to heat and acid and has an extremely long shelf life. The E number covers saccharin and its sodium, potassium and calcium salts; sodium saccharin is by far the most common form.
| Interactions
Frequently blended with cyclamate or aspartame, which round out the metallic, bitter aftertaste that saccharin develops at higher concentrations. It is not metabolised — it is absorbed, circulates unchanged and is excreted in the urine — so it supplies no energy and does not raise blood glucose.
| Origin
Synthetic. First made in 1879 from toluene derivatives; modern production uses anthranilic acid or phthalic anhydride routes. There is no natural source.
| Daily Intake
The long-standing ADI is 5 mg per kg of body weight per day, expressed as free imide, set by the EU Scientific Committee on Food and used by JECFA. Saccharin is included in EFSA's ongoing re-evaluation of the authorised sweeteners.
Information is sourced from public regulatory bodies (EFSA, FDA, WHO) and is for reference only. Always read the package and consult a healthcare professional for medical advice.
Related additives
- E950 Acesulfame K A calorie-free artificial sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar.
- E952 Cyclamates A synthetic sweetener 30 to 50 times sweeter than sugar, authorised in the EU but not in the United States.
- E960 Steviol glycosides Plant-derived sweeteners extracted from stevia leaves, about 200 to 350 times sweeter than sugar.
- E965 Maltitol A sugar alcohol used as a bulk sweetener, almost as sweet as sugar.
- E967 Xylitol A sugar alcohol as sweet as sugar, best known from dental chewing gum and mints.
- E968 Erythritol A sugar alcohol with virtually no calories, about 60 to 70 per cent as sweet as sugar.
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