Sucralose
Sucralosa
- Date
- 1976 · confidence high
- Place
- London, United Kingdom
- Credited to
- Tate & Lyle and Queen Elizabeth College (Leslie Hough, Shashikant Phadnis)
- Field
- Life & health
What it is
A synthetic sweetener derived from sucrose that replaces three hydroxyl groups with chlorine and is around 600 times sweeter than sugar, with no calories. It was discovered while researching sucrose derivatives as chemical intermediates.
Legend says Phadnis misheard 'test' as 'taste' and tasted the compound; it was marketed as Splenda from 1999.
What it led to
- sweetener in sugar-free soft drinks and baking
- approval in Canada (1991) and the US (1998)
- competition with aspartame