Question

Which one of the following is the first popular artificial sweetener?

• A. Neotame
• B. Saccharin
• C. Sucralose
• D. Aspartame

Answer 1

The correct option is B

Saccharin

The correct option is B.

Explanation for Correct option:

1. Artificial sweetener is among the most desirable sugar substitutes because it adds few calories to our diet.
2. Saccharin is the oldest non-nutritive sweetener, having been discovered in $1879$.
3. Saccharin is around $300$ times sweeter than sucrose.

Explanation for Incorrect option:

Option A:

Neotame is an artificial sweetener that is $8000$ times sweeter than sucrose and contains no calories.

Option C:

Sucralose is a zero-calorie artificial sweetener that is produced by a multistep chemical process from sugar.

Option D:

Aspartame is a non-saccharide artificial sweetener that is $200$ times sweeter than sucrose and is extensively used in foods and beverages as a sugar substitute.

Final answer: Saccharin is the first popular artificial sweetener.