Monday, February 07, 2005

Denatonium benzoate - the bittering agent

Thought I would add some information on Denatonium Benzoate, the most commonly used bittering agent used. Do you think we can make a DIY kit, to make the chemicals you use at home bitter? Anyway, here is some information on Denatonium benzoate.

Denatonium Benzoate is the world’s bitterest known substance. By adding as little as thirty (30) parts of Denatonium Benzoate to one million parts of a liquid, it makes that liquid too bitter to be tolerated by most human subjects. The Guinness Book of Records has described this substance as the bitterest compound known to man. Chemically, Denatonium Benzoate is a close relative of the local anesthetic lidocaine – its structure differs from lidocaine by the addition of a single benzyl group. Because of its aversive reaction, Denatonium Benzoate is increasingly being used as an aversion additive. When added to household items, such as toiletries and to outdoor products such as pesticides, it helps to prevent accidental poisonings. Denatonium Benzoate is inert and odorless. From www.rcpharmachem.com