Making the World a ‘Bitter’ Place!
Bitrex®, the bitterest substance yet to be discovered.
Bitrex® is the brand name of the bitterest substance yet discovered – denatonium benzoate. It is inert and odourless, but a few parts per million are enough to make products unpalatable.
It is supplied by Johnson Matthey’s Macfarlan Smith business and was discovered in its laboratories some 50 years ago. Since being approved in the UK and US in the early 1960s, Bitrex has been officially recognised as the denaturant of choice in more than 40 countries. The first use of Bitrex as a taste aversive was in a cream to prevent tail-biting in pigs.
Evolution has given human beings a strong aversion to the bitterness that often marks out harmful plant or animal material. Studies have shown that children are particularly sensitive to these bitter tastes. That’s why Bitrex is such a powerful deterrent to help prevent accidental poisonings in young children and household pets. First used in denaturing alcohol – making it legally unfit for consumption – it is now added to a wide range of household cleaners, pesticides, DIY and automotive products.
A recent survey of just under 1,000 parents carried out by Macfarlan Smith has shown that parents are prepared to spend more on products that protect their children. According to the new research, 64% would pay up to 15p more to help avoid accidental poisoning.
The parents surveyed, who were mostly mothers, were concerned about the issue of accidental poisoning and virtually all mothers of under-3s had some child safety measures in their house. They reported textbook knowledge of the importance of locking potentially dangerous products away and insisting on child-proof caps. Awareness of Bitrex was lower – but 86% thought that the product was a worthwhile contribution to child safety.
“We know that parents take accidental swallowing very seriously,” says Cameron Smith, Bitrex Business Manager at Macfarlan Smith. The research showed that they were interested in a third line of defence against accidental poisoning where the possibility of harm would be dramatically reduced by a Bitrex additive.
The research is positive news for Macfarlan Smith. “We are keen to increase awareness and use of our product and want to continue to improve child safety in the home,” adds Cameron Smith. “We see our role as working in partnership with parents, manufacturers, retailers and dedicated safety organisations to make homes even safer.”
Find out more about Bitrex at www.bitrex.com.
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