Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site dciem.UUCP Path: utzoo!dciem!ntt 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