Cyclamate

/ˈsaɪkləmeɪt/ noun

Definition

An artificial sweetener that is about 30 times sweeter than sugar, once widely used in soft drinks and foods before being banned in some countries.

Etymology

From cyclohexylamine combined with the suffix '-ate' (indicating a chemical salt). Synthesized in 1937 by chemists at DuPont. The name reflects its chemical structure containing a cyclohexyl ring attached to an amine group.

Kelly Says

Cyclamate was everywhere in the 1960s-70s diet sodas until researchers worried it might cause cancer—though this was never definitively proven. It's still legal in Europe and Asia but banned in the United States, showing how food safety rules differ wildly around the world!

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