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Stevia Gets FDA Approval as Natural Sweetener | Diet and Health News

December 18, 2008 on 2:01 pm | By Matt | In Diet and Health News |

FDA gives Stevia green-light as natural food and tabletop sweetener; Coke and Pepsi will be the first to introduce Stevia-sweetened soft drinks

Stevia-fans in the U.S. can finally rejoice: Last night, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) officially approved the use of stevia as a food-grade sweetener - paving the way for everything from stevia-sweetened soft drinks to stevia-based tabletop sweeteners.

Until now, stevia was not approved as a food sweetener in the U.S. — forcing stevia manufacturers to market and sell the natural sweetener derived from the leaves of the rebaudioside Aplant as a supplement, rather than a sweetener. However, last night’s announcement by the FDA now gives food manufacturers the “all clear” to start using stevia as a zero-calorie, natural sweetener.

Pepsi and Coke Ready to Introduce Stevia Sweeteners

Both Coca Cola and Pespi already have stevia-sweetened products waiting in wings, and yesterday’s announcement means consumers who are looking for alternatives to artificially-sweetened zero-calorie soft drinks and beverages will have a number of alternatives come the first of the year. PepsiCo will market their stevia sweetener under the brand PureVia and Coke’s rival stevia-sweetener is called Truevia.

If you’re a cola fan, you may still have to wait a few months for Stevia-sweetened cola, since the sweetener tends to work best with citrus-type beverages. Soft drink manufacturers are still trying to figure out how to make a Stevia-sweetened cola product that tastes comparable to colas sweetened with cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

What Is Stevia?

Stevia is a shrub in the chrysanthemum family that is native to northeastern Paraguay. First discovered by natives of Paraguay, the plant has been grown, harvested and used in South America to sweeten foods and beverages for more than 200 years. The stevia leaf is a good source of natural, zero-calorie sweetness. Stevia is 300 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar) and is heat stable — meaning you can cook with it without altering it’s flavor or properties.

Stevia Safety

Stevia has been safely used for decades in countries like Japan as a natural-zero calorie sweetener in soft drinks.

In fact, Japan currently consumes more stevia than any other country, with stevia accounting for 40% of the sweetener market. Unlike artificial sweeteners like saccharin, aspartame, and Sucralose, stevia is made from the leaf of the stevia plant, and not in a laboratory.

Nearly all research around the health risks of stevia have found it to be safe.

However, a 1985 study found that steviol, a chemical produced from the breakdown of stevioside and rebaudioside (two of the compounds that give stevia its sweetness) were mutagens and possibly carcinogenic.

That research has since been challenged successfully, and indeed, most of the recent research around stevia suggests that it may have additional health benefits aside from a zero-calorie sweetener, including improvements in insulin sensitivity, reversing Metabolic Syndrome and even possibly decreasing hypertension.

When Will Stevia Be Available as A Sweetener?

You can already buy stevia as a “supplement” at many grocers and natural food stores. Both Pespi and Coke expect to introduce their new, stevia-sweetened soft drinks in the first quarter of 2009.

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Tags: Artificial Sweetener, Aspartame, Benefits of Stevia, Diet and Health News, Diet Soft Drinks, FDA, Low Carb Food, Natural Sweeteners, PureVia, Rebaudioside A, Saccharin, Stevia, Stevia Plant, Stevia Side Effects, Sucralose, Truevia, Zero-Calorie Sweeteners

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