Thoughtd share this, the tale behind one of the sweeteners used in many processed foods/drinks, sweets etc. There is a lot more to the story, ask me if you would like to see it. Who is Consuming Coal Tar... This sweet mess is saccharin (think Sweet and Low). It was first produced in 1878 by a chemist working on coal tar derivatives at Johns Hopkins University. After working with his compounds all day, he discovered that his hand tasted sweet.1 Not really sure how it came about that he tasted his hand, but there it is. Today, saccharin is commonly manufactured by combining anthranilic acid (used among other things as a corrosive agent for metal) with nitrous acid, sulfur dioxide, chlorine, and ammonia. Yes, thats right. Chlorine and ammonia. In fact, that particular group of chemicals sounds more like a recipe for a household cleaner than a sweetener. And yet, millions upon millions of people consume saccharin every year.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Nov 2013 14:03:10 +0000