Saccharine patentIn 1885, a U.S. patent was issued for saccharine, the artificial sweetener discover by Constantin Fahlberg (No. 326,281). He had alreaday patented the substance “benzoic sulfinide”which he had found to be exceptionally sweet tasting (No. 319,082, 2 Jun 1885). In his new patent, his invention was to mix a small quantity of this compound with a large amount of grape or starch sugar, which he then called “dextro-saccharine.”In this form, the mixture had, he claimed, “the sweetening property of cane sugar, or saccharose, so as to be successfully used in the preparation of candies, preserves, cordials, &c.”He described mixing 2-lb of the chemical compound with 1-ton of grape sugar, by solution and evaporation. Taking advantage of the lower cost of grape sugar, this was cheaper than cane-sugar.« |
