[I]njurious to health?... Anybody who says saccharin is injurious to health is an idiot!"
President Theodore Roosevelt
On February 27, 1879, Ira Remsen (1846-1927) and Constantin Fahlberg (1850-1910), two chemists from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, were working on the oxidation of o-toluenesulfonamide, a coal tar derivative. Legend has it that both scientists went home for dinner and tasted a sweet residue on their foods, which originated from their unwashed hands. The next day they compared notes on this mysterious sweet chemical and checked their unwashed equipment. The result was a calorie-free, artificial sweetener that they later named saccharin. The scientists published their findings in 1880, though Fahlberg alone pursued a patent.
Due to its lack of calories and glucose, saccharin proved very successful with consumers. However, its safety has always been controversial. In 1907, food safety officials tried to ban its use, only to be thwarted by President Theodore Roosevelt, who was a fan. Its use was limited in 1911, but the restriction was lifted during World Wars I and II due to sugar shortages.
In the 1970s, rats fed large amounts of saccharin appeared to be at risk of developing bladder cancer. However, some scientists argued that this was due to the impurities in saccharin, not the saccharin itself. In 2000, President Bill Clinton signed a bill to remove warning labels from saccharin products. Saccharin's safety, however, continues to be debated.
