Which is the first artificial sweetening agent?

Question

Question

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AIIMS BSc NURSING 2023 Memory-Based Paper

Answer 1

CONCEPT:

Artificial Sweetening Agents

Artificial sweeteners are sugar substitutes that provide a sweet taste like that of sugar while containing significantly less food energy.
These sweeteners are used in various food and beverage products to reduce calorie content.
Some common artificial sweeteners include Aspartame, Sucralose, Saccharin, and Alitame.

EXPLANATION:

The first artificial sweetening agent discovered was Saccharin.
Saccharin was discovered in 1879 by Constantin Fahlberg, a chemist working on coal tar derivatives at Johns Hopkins University.
Its discovery was accidental when Fahlberg noticed a sweet taste on his hands after a day in the laboratory and traced it back to the compound he was working on.

Therefore, the first artificial sweetening agent is Saccharin.