Getting yeast to make artificial sweets

The holiday season can be a time of excess, but low- or no-calorie sweeteners could help merry-makers stay trim. Stevia is a zero-calorie sweetener that is sometimes called "natural" because it is extracted from the leaves ...

An invention enables the production of a natural sweetener

A research group from Oulu University has developed a method capable of producing the natural sweetener brazzein. Production of brazzein as a good tasting sweetener has long been in development but until now, no solution ...

Tracking wastewater's path to wells, groundwater

We often "flush it and forget it" when it comes to waste from toilets and sinks. However, it's important to be able to track this wastewater to ensure it doesn't end up in unwanted places. A group of Canadian scientists has ...

Mixing artificial sweeteners inhibits bitter taste receptors

Blends of artificial sweeteners such as saccharin and cyclamate produce less of a bitter off-taste than each of the individual components, but the explanation for this puzzling phenomenon has been elusive ever since its discovery ...

How to monitor urine in pools—by testing sweetness

Even though Olympic swimmers have admitted doing it, peeing in the pool is not a condoned practice. Urine contributes to the formation of compounds in pool water that can be harmful to people's health. Now scientists are ...

Soda prices may only partly bubble up if taxes pass

Four cities will be voting Nov. 8 on whether to tax soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages. Some proponents say the taxes would raise prices by exactly the amount of the tax, encouraging consumers to cut down on soda and ...

Everything you eat is made of chemicals

We are routinely warned by earnest websites, advertisments and well-meaning popular articles about nasty "chemicals" lurking in our homes and kitchens. Many tout the benefits of switching to a "chemical-free lifestyle".

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