Saccharin

Saccharin is an artificial sweetener that is much sweeter than sugar but contains no calories. It is used to sweeten foods and beverages, especially in diet products, and is often found in tabletop sweeteners and sugar-free items.

Saccharin is one of the oldest artificial sweeteners, discovered in the late 1800s. It is approximately 300–500 times sweeter than sucrose, with no caloric value. Though rarely used as a sole sweetener today due to its slightly metallic or bitter aftertaste at high concentrations, it is often combined with other sweeteners to enhance sweetness and mask off-notes. Saccharin is stable under heat and acidic conditions, making it suitable for a wide range of food and supplement applications.