Stevia sweetener approved by FDA
Some sweet news: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved for use its new sweetener, rebaudioside A – a highly purified component of the stevia plant.
To receive approval, Cargill’s independent panel evaluated the identity, method of manufacture, product specifications and potential exposure resulting from the intended use of the sweetener, as well as published and unpublished studies on rebaudioside A and related substances.
Read More: World Tea News - FDA Approves Cargill’s Stevia Sweetener
The species Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a sugar substitute, stevia’s taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, although some of its extracts may have a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste at high concentrations.
Read More: Stevia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pepsi also has two Stevia-sweetened drinks ready for the market, but they say they won’t start selling them until FDA gives Stevia the official OK. The FDA is expected to approve Stevia as "generally regarded as safe" any time now.
Read More: Coke Products Sweetened With Stevia? - Slashfood
