Taste of sodium cyclamate in comparison with sugar

In an investigation carried out with 150 females, a 0.1 °/o solution of sodium cyclamate has been compared with a sugar solution of equal sweetness and thus tested with regard to taste differences. A significant difference has been found which above all is characterized by the bitter aftertaste of the cyclamate solution stated by patients. In this test the taste qualities sour, salty, and metallic have not been mentioned by the patients. The original question whether with regard to taste a fundamental difference between sugar and chemical sweetening agents exists or not has been decided as follows :

On account of its marked bitter taste, a 0.1 % solution of the chemical sweetening agent sodium cyclamate in drinking water can not replace perfectly a sugar solution of equal sweetness.