Sweet'n Low

Sweet'n Low (stylized as Sweet'N Low) is a brand of artificial sweetener made primarily from granulated saccharin. It also contains dextrose and cream of tartar, and is distributed primarily in packets. There have been over 500 billion Sweet'N Low packets produced.[1]

For other uses, see Sweet and Low (disambiguation).
Mural on the side of the Cumberland Packing Corporation, designed and painted by Benjamin Kile
Sweet'n Low packets

Sweet'n Low is manufactured and distributed in the United States by Cumberland Packing Corporation, which also produces Sugar in the Raw and Stevia in the Raw, and in the United Kingdom by Dietary Foods Ltd. Its patent is U.S. Patent 3,625,711. The "SWEET'N LOW" wording and musical staff logo have US trademark registration number 3,317,421.

In Canada, Sweet'n Low is made from sodium cyclamate rather than saccharin. Although saccharin was not allowed as a food additive in Canada beginning in 1977 when studies surfaced showing bladder cancer in laboratory rats that had been given the additive, in 2014, Canada lifted this ban when those studies were proven to be flawed.[2]

Sweet'n Low has been licensed to Bernard Food Industries for a line of low-calorie baking mixes.

History

Saccharin was discovered in 1878 by Constantin Fahlberg, a chemist working on coal tar derivatives at the Johns Hopkins University. Although saccharin was commercialized not long after its discovery, it was not until decades later that its use became widespread. Sweet'n Low was first introduced in 1957 by Benjamin Eisenstadt, formerly proprietor of a Brooklyn Navy Yard cafeteria,[3] and his son, Marvin Eisenstadt. The elder Eisenstadt had earlier invented the sugar packet, but neglected to patent it, and artificial sweetener packets were an outgrowth of that business. The two were the first to market and distribute the sugar substitute in powdered form. Their distribution company, Cumberland Packing Corporation, still controls the product. The business is still based on the site of Ben's original diner.[3]

Advertising

In 2005, Cumberland Packing Corporation made a sponsorship deal with Metro Goldwyn Mayer, which at the time was about to be ready for the 2006 spy comedy film remake The Pink Panther. As a result, the Pink Panther animated character himself had his appearance in two promotional commercials, one for the 2006 film and the other for the remake's sequel, The Pink Panther 2, and on the sweetener's iconic pink packets and its box packaging.

Brand name derivation

The name "Sweet'n Low" derives from an 1863 song[3] by Sir Joseph Barnby, which took both its title and lyrics from an Alfred Lord Tennyson poem, entitled The Princess: Sweet and Low.[4]

References
  1. "B'klyn-Based Sweet 'N Low Celebrates Milestone: 500 Billionth Pink Packet". Brooklyn Eagle. 2006-11-01. Retrieved 2009-12-10.
  2. Canada, Health. "Notice of Proposal to Enable the Use of Saccharin, Calcium Saccharin, Potassium Saccharin and Sodium Saccharin as Sweeteners in Various Unstandardized Foods - Canada.ca". www.hc-sc.gc.ca.
  3. "The Story of Sweet'N Low". Sweet'N Low. Cumberland Packing Corp. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  4. "The Princess: Sweet and Low - Representative Poetry Online". rpo.library.utoronto.ca.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.