How Is Saccharin Produced?
History While it is a popular sweetener nationwide, saccharin was actually discovered by accident. Chemist Constantin Fahlberg was experimenting with coal tar derivatives at a laboratory at Johns Hopkins University operated by Ira Remsen, a fellow chemist. After discovering saccharin’s sweet nature, both Fahlber and Remsen published papers on making the compound in 1880. While Fahlberg experienced success over his discovery, Remsen did not, even though he applied for several patents concerning the saccharin-making process. Although saccharin was produced shortly after its discovery, it was mostly considered useful for diabetics, as saccharin does not cause blood sugar levels to spike in the same manner that sugar does. Saccharin increasingly grew in popularity during World War I as a replacement to compensate for sugar shortages due to rationing. In the 1960s and ’70s, dieters began to increasingly use saccharin due to its calorie-free nature. Saccharin is popular as an additive for so
