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From: ntt@dciem.UUCP (Mark Brader)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: Why is there SiO2 in Equal (Nutrasweet) packets?
Message-ID: <776@dciem.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 12-Mar-84 17:31:48 EST
Article-I.D.: dciem.776
Posted: Mon Mar 12 17:31:48 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 12-Mar-84 19:55:22 EST
References: <260@ihuxu.UUCP>
Organization: NTT Systems Inc., Toronto, Canada
Lines: 16

Larry Russell:
	Does anyone know why there is silicon dioxide (i. e., sand or glass)
	in the little packets of Nutrasweet marketed as Equal?

Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame are generally more powerful than
sugar.  The quantity you would need to measure out for your coffee would
be so small that you would have trouble handling it.  Therefore the sweetener
is presented in a dilute (5-10%) "solution" in a less potent powder.  The
"solvent" may be sand, which flows freely and is biologically inert, or it may
be sugar, since you will need much less than you would without the sweetener.

By the way, you mean the packets of Nutrasweet(TM) brand of *aspartame*,
marketed as Equal(TM).  Why they feel the need to put a brand name on
something they don't even sell directly, I don't know.

Mark Brader