Saccharin Sodium Interpretation: Is the sweetness you eat really 'sweet'?

The theme of this year's "World Food Safety Day" is "Food safety is everyone's responsibility". At the home event in China, Xiao Yaqing, director of the Office of the Food Safety Committee of the State Council, called on experts and scholars to strengthen popular science and help the public resolve doubts. Experts from the Psychological Testing Institute of the Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention will interpret several items of food exceeding the standard found in the national market surveillance spot check in June.

Case: Adding Sodium Saccharin to Zongzi

In the announcement of the General Administration of Market Supervision on the unqualified status of 12 batches of food (No. 14 of 2020), the Hubei Provincial Food Quality and Safety Supervision and Inspection Institute issued a report to the Vanke Jiayuan Store of Wuhan Zhongbai Warehouse Supermarket Co., Ltd. The red bean rice dumplings produced by Wuhan Wutai Baifeng Food Co., Ltd. were sampled and found that the sodium saccharin (calculated as saccharin) did not meet the national food safety standards.

Why did the zongzi sampled fail?

Saccharin sodium is a commonly used synthetic non-nutritive sweetener. Compared with sucrose, saccharin sodium is about 500 times sweeter than sucrose. GB2760-2014 "National Food Safety Standard Food Additives Use Standard" stipulates the maximum use amount in candied fruits It is 1.0g/kg, but sodium saccharin should not be used in zongzi. The reason for non-compliance may be the illegal use of sodium saccharin to increase the sweetness of the product.


Five questions about saccharin sodium in a row!

Is saccharin sodium a sugar?

Sugar substances are chemically composed of three elements: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and are also known as carbohydrates. Sodium saccharin (C6H4SO2NNaCO) is an organic chemical synthesis product. It is a food additive rather than a food. From a chemical point of view, sodium saccharin is not sugar. They have only one thing in common, that is, they all have a sweet taste.

Can people with diabetes eat saccharin sodium?

Because the digestion and absorption of saccharin sodium does not require the participation of insulin, the impact on diabetics is not great. If diabetics need to consume sugar, they can be replaced by some sweeteners such as saccharin sodium in an appropriate amount if the amount is not excessive. But it is best to consult a doctor to confirm.

Which foods contain more saccharin sodium?

It is widely found in beverages and snacks for elementary and middle school students, such as soft drinks, ice cream, sweet plums, preserves and biscuits.

Is saccharin sodium harmful to the human body?

Saccharin sodium is not a natural ingredient and has no nutritional value to the human body. Excessive consumption of saccharin sodium will affect the normal secretion of gastrointestinal digestive enzymes, reduce the absorption function of the small intestine, and reduce appetite; eating a large amount of saccharin sodium in a short period of time will cause acute bleeding. It will cause adverse effects on the liver and kidneys.

Can foods containing saccharin sodium be eaten?

As a food additive, it can be used reasonably as long as the amount does not exceed the standard. The "Standard for the Use of Food Additives" stipulates the scope and amount of saccharin, which prohibits the use of sodium saccharin in bread, cakes, biscuits, beverages and other foods, dried fruits (only dried mangoes, dried figs), preserved fruits, fruit cakes The maximum dosage of the same type is 5g/kg; the maximum dosage of frozen drinks, pickled vegetables, compound flavored wine and mixed wine is 0.15g/kg; the maximum dosage of cooked beans, candied fruits, shelled cooked nuts and lipids is 1.0g/ kg.

Food safety is greater than the sky, next time everyone eats something sweet, don't forget to take a look at the packaging, is it really sweet or is it sweet by your tongue.