E954 - saccharin and its salts

At a glance

• What it is: A high-intensity sweetener (non-nutritive), 200–700 times sweeter than table sugar.
• E-number: E954 (covers saccharin and its sodium, calcium, and potassium salts).
• Why used: Adds sweetness without calories; stable in heat and across many recipes.
• Where found: Diet soft drinks, tabletop sweeteners, sugar-free syrups, desserts, and chewing gum.
• Label names: “saccharin,” “sodium saccharin,” “calcium saccharin,” or “potassium saccharin.”
• Safety: Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Union; typical intake is kept below an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 5 mg per kilogram of body weight per day.

Why is saccharin and its salts added to food?

Food makers use saccharin to deliver sweetness without adding sugar or calories. It is much sweeter than sugar, so only a tiny amount is needed, and it stays sweet when heated or stored, which helps in baked goods and shelf-stable products.¹

What foods contain saccharin and its salts?

Saccharin appears in a range of “sugar-free” or “diet” products, such as:

• Tabletop sweeteners (packets, tablets, and sachets)
• Diet or light soft drinks and flavored waters
• Sugar-free chewing gum and candies
• Reduced-sugar desserts, mixes, and syrups
• Certain condiments and preserves labeled “no added sugar”

In the United States, the FDA permits saccharin and its salts for use as sweeteners in foods and beverages under specific regulations.² The FDA also lists saccharin among approved high-intensity sweeteners.¹

What can replace saccharin and its salts?

Depending on taste, heat stability, cost, and local rules, manufacturers may choose other sweeteners, alone or in blends:

• Other high-intensity sweeteners: acesulfame K, aspartame, sucralose, steviol glycosides, neotame, advantame, or cyclamic acid and its Na and Ca salts
• Polyol (sugar alcohol) sweeteners for bulk and texture: erythritol, xylitol, or sorbitol

How is saccharin and its salts made?

Saccharin is the cyclic imide of o‑sulfobenzoic acid. Industry makes it via multi-step chemical routes that convert aromatic starting materials through sulfonation, oxidation, and ring-closure. The commonly used salts (sodium, calcium, and potassium saccharin) are produced by neutralizing saccharin with the corresponding food-grade bases.²³

Is saccharin and its salts safe to eat?

Yes—when used as intended. The FDA has approved saccharin as a food additive and lists an ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake) of 5 mg per kilogram of body weight per day. ADI is a safety guideline that estimates the daily amount a person can consume over a lifetime without appreciable health risk.¹ In human studies, saccharin has not been shown to increase cancer risk; notably, it was removed from the U.S. National Toxicology Program’s list of potential carcinogens in 2000.⁴ In the European Union, E954 is authorized as a sweetener under food additive law.⁵

Does saccharin and its salts have any benefits?

• Lets products taste sweet with very few or no calories, helping reduce added sugars in the diet.¹
• Works in heat and across many recipes, so it can sweeten baked goods and shelf-stable items where some other sweeteners may not perform as well.¹

Who should avoid saccharin and its salts?

• Anyone advised by their healthcare professional to limit low- or no-calorie sweeteners should follow that guidance.
• If you dislike saccharin’s taste or prefer to avoid sodium, look for products using other sweeteners or using calcium or potassium saccharin instead (check the ingredient list).

Myths & facts

• Myth: “Saccharin causes cancer in people.” Fact: Large reviews and human data do not show a clear link; it was delisted from the U.S. carcinogen report in 2000.⁴
• Myth: “Saccharin is banned.” Fact: It is approved by the FDA and authorized in the EU with defined conditions of use.¹⁵
• Myth: “All sweeteners act the same.” Fact: Sweeteners differ in sweetness strength, taste profile, and heat stability; manufacturers choose among them or blend them to fit a recipe.¹

saccharin and its salts in branded foods

You’ll most often find E954 in:

• Tabletop sweeteners (look for “saccharin,” “sodium saccharin,” “calcium saccharin,” or “potassium saccharin”)
• Diet or light beverages and drink mixes
• Sugar-free chewing gum, candies, syrups, and dessert mixes

On ingredient lists in the EU, it may appear as “E954.” In the U.S., it is typically listed by its common name (for example, “sodium saccharin”).

References

Footnotes

1. High-Intensity Sweeteners — U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/high-intensity-sweeteners ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

2. 21 CFR 180.37 Saccharin and its salts — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-180/section-180.37 ↩ ↩²

3. Saccharin (CID 5143) — PubChem, National Institutes of Health (NIH). https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/5143 ↩

4. Artificial Sweeteners and Cancer — National Cancer Institute (NCI). https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/artificial-sweeteners-fact-sheet ↩ ↩²

5. Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives — EUR-Lex (EU). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2008/1333/oj ↩ ↩²