The maker of Equal, an artificial sweetener, is in court to put an end to the claims of Splenda, another artificial sweetener.

Splenda has gained enormous consumer acceptance by declaring that it is made from sugar and is therefore natural.

You've seen the slogan: "Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar."

The battle rages. Experts are testifying. I am certain they will contradict one another. A decision will be rendered that is unlikely to have anything to do with reality and everything to do with technicalities.

I would like to rule on the case.

The ingredient that makes Splenda sweet is made in a laboratory. It's cleverly called sucralose. It's synthetic. It is definitely not sucrose, which is real sugar.

So if you want to use Splenda, by all means do so. I have no idea if it is better or worse for you than Equal. By the way, Equal's sweetness comes from aspartame, which is definitely not sucrose, either.

In my estimation, the makers of Splenda are dead wrong to make any claims whatsoever that sucralose is like sugar.

Soap is made from animal fat. Would you believe the manufacturers of Ivory if they claimed their product tasted just like kobe beef?