NutraSweet? brand sweetener was discovered in 1965 at G.D. Searle and Company by researcher James Schlatter. He was working on research with amino acids to develop a treatment for ulcers. When he licked his finger to pick up a piece of paper, Schlatter got the world's first taste of NutraSweet. His amino acid combination may not have cured ulcers, but it helped create a product that revolutionized the category of "sweetener" for individuals and food ingredient companies. Since its introduction ...