Discovery of saccharin
Descubrimiento de la sacarina
- Date
- 1879 · confidence high
- Place
- Baltimore, United States
- Credited to
- Constantin Fahlberg, in Ira Remsen's laboratory (Johns Hopkins University)
- Field
- Life & health
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What was discovered
Fahlberg notices a persistent sweet taste on his hands after a day working in Remsen's lab and traces it to the benzoic sulfimide he had handled, discovering the first artificial sweetener.
Fahlberg patented and commercialised saccharin alone in 1884, angering Remsen; the exact credit split between them remains disputed.
What it led to
- Modern artificial sweetener industry
- Low-calorie foods and drinks
- Historic priority dispute between Fahlberg and Remsen