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Saccharin is the oldest nonnutritive sweetener on the market in the United States. It was discovered by an American chemist in 1878 and is currently produced from a manufactured substance that also occurs naturally in grapes.

Saccharin is approximately 300 to 400 times sweeter than sugar. In high concentrations it can leave a bitter aftertaste.
Saccharin is not digested by humans, so it is non-caloric. Saccharin is stable when heated, and is suitable for use in cooking and baking.

Saccharin is most commonly used as a tabletop sweetener and in beverages. It is marketed under the brand names "Sweet 'N Low" and "Sugar Twin." Saccharin is also used in cosmetics, vitamins, and drugs. Saccharin came close to being banned in 1977 after studies in rats linked it to bladder cancer.

Research in humans largely failed to turn up that risk, with the possible exception (in one study) of people consuming six or more servings a day. In 2000, the government's National Toxicology Program delisted saccharin as a possible carcinogen.