Sugar Substitutes

The first artificial sweetener, saccharin, was discovered in 1878 by a scientist who failed to wash his hands before dinner and noticed that his fingers tasted sweet. Other sugar substitutes have also been discovered simply because scientists licked their fingers while testing a new drug or smoked a cigarette that was placed near a sweet-tasting compound. Poor personal hygiene has been the dieting industry's windfall.

Since then, a bevy of others have been produced and used around the world. The consumption of low-calorie sweeteners continues to increase, with consumer demand for low-calorie foods and beverages the major force behind this growth. The increasing interest in a health-conscious lifestyle and advances in food technology are pushing the development of more and better tasting low-calorie foods and beverages.

Depending on whom you talk with, sugar substitutes also go by the terms low-calorie sweeteners, non-nutritive sweeteners, intense sweeteners, high intensity sweeteners, high potency sweeteners, artificial sweeteners or alternative sweeteners. So many names, so little time.

This week, a look at sugar substitutes.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "There is no formula for success, except perhaps an unconditional acceptance of life and what it brings." - Arthur Rubinstein (Polish-American pianist who is widely considered as one of the greatest piano virtuosi of the 20th century, 1887 - 1982)

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