Can you imagine a world without that little pink packet? Right here at 2 Cumberland Street in Brooklyn, stands Cumberland Packing Corp, the birthplace of Sweet’n Low. Cumberland Packing Corp isn’t just a company. It’s a testament to the American dream, a story of innovation and resilience. Benjamin Eisenstadt, a Brooklyn native and St. John’s University Law School graduate, founded the company in 1947. Unable to find work as a lawyer during the Depression, he ran his father-in-law’s food store and later, a cafeteria called the Cumberland, right across from the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
This very spot, once bustling with sailors and shipyard workers, became the launchpad for a sweetener revolution. It started with single-serving sugar packets, an idea inspired by Betty Eisenstadt, Benjamin’s wife, who was bothered by a dirty sugar bowl in a restaurant. Then came the pivotal moment. A local drug manufacturer approached Cumberland Packing, seeking help in developing a granular sugar substitute. Benjamin’s son, Marvin, a chemist, took on the challenge. The result was Sweet’n Low, a saccharin-based sweetener named after Benjamin’s favorite Tennyson poem. With its distinctive pink packaging, it quickly became a national sensation.
Cumberland Packing Corp, however, faced numerous challenges. In 1969, cyclamates, a key ingredient in Sweet’n Low, were banned. Marvin Eisenstadt reformulated the product using only saccharin, saving the company from disaster. A similar crisis arose in 1977 with a proposed saccharin ban. Public outcry, fueled by Marvin’s televised arguments against the FDA’s testing methods, eventually led to a compromise. A warning label was required, but Sweet’n Low survived. By 1980, it held an 80% share of the artificial sweetener market.
Cumberland Packing Corp also diversified, introducing Nu-Salt and Butter Buds. But the arrival of NutraSweet in 1982, backed by massive advertising campaigns, chipped away at Sweet’n Low’s dominance. Undeterred, Cumberland Packing Corp continued to innovate, launching new products like Sweet One and Sweet’n Low 2, a blend of saccharin and aspartame. Despite competition and internal challenges, including a campaign finance scandal in the 1990s, Cumberland Packing Corp persevered. It remained a family-run business, committed to its employees and its Brooklyn roots. So, next time you see that little pink packet, remember the story of Cumberland Packing Corp, a small company that made a big impact on how we sweeten our lives.