Saccharin
Learn what Saccharin (E954) is, why it's added to food, whether it's safe, and which products contain it.
Moderate concernWhat is Saccharin?
A food additive used as an artificial sweetener. Although it has an unpleasant metallic aftertaste, saccharin has been widely used by diabetics and in the food industry, being 300-500 times sweeter than sugar. It is an intense, calorie-free sweetener that does not cause tooth decay. It is added to flavored alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, snacks, and desserts with reduced energy value, sugar-free, water-based, milk-based, starch, cocoa, fat, egg, cereal, or fruit-based. It is used in low-energy confectionery products, fruit and vegetable preserves, jams, jellies, marmalades, spreadable pastes, sauces, mustard, salads, soups, canned and semi-canned fish, seafood, mollusks, fine bakery products, etc. To mask the unpleasant aftertaste, saccharin is combined with other synthetic sweeteners.
Why is Saccharin added to food?
Saccharin (E954) is a sweetener commonly found in: Fruit/vegetable preserves, jams, jellies, spreadable pastes.
Permitted quantity: The maximum acceptable daily intake is 5 mg/kg body weight. Due to the amounts used in foods, the daily dose can be easily exceeded.
Is Saccharin safe?
Moderate concern
No secondary effects have been reported at these amounts.
Is Saccharin banned anywhere?
✓ Not currently banned in the EU or known to be restricted in other countries.
Is Saccharin okay for kids?
This additive is not allowed in foods intended for infants and young children.
Common foods that contain Saccharin
- Fruit/vegetable preserves
- jams
- jellies
- spreadable pastes
How to spot Saccharin on labels
Look for any of these names in the ingredients list:
- E954
- Saccharin
Common misspellings to watch for:
- sacchdrin
- saecharin
- sdccharin
- saccharin
- saceharin
- $accharin
- saccharln
Better alternatives
• Research dating back to 1960 showed the potential carcinogenicity of saccharin in laboratory animals, particularly in the urinary bladder and urinary tract, which led to its ban in some countries. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, states that saccharin is not carcinogenic to humans because it does not affect DNA, and the mechanism that produces tumors in laboratory mice is species-specific and not applicable to humans.
Also known as
- sacchdrin
- saecharin
- sdccharin
- saccharin
- saceharin
- $accharin
- saccharln
Scan products with BioBrief
Not sure if a product contains Saccharin? BioBrief scans the barcode and instantly shows you every additive in the ingredients list — including E954 — with a plain-language explanation.
Frequently asked questions about Saccharin
- Is Saccharin safe to eat?
- No secondary effects have been reported at these amounts.
- Is Saccharin banned anywhere?
- Saccharin is not currently banned in the EU or known to be restricted in other countries.
- Is Saccharin safe for children?
- This additive is not allowed in foods intended for infants and young children.
- How do I spot Saccharin on a food label?
- Look for E954, Saccharin in the ingredients list. It may also appear as: sacchdrin, saecharin, sdccharin.
Ingredients change. Always check the actual product label before purchasing. Information on this page is for educational purposes only.