January 5, 2009 – Authorized for many years as food sweeteners in Japan, Asia and South America, stevia extracts obtain the same status in the United States, thanks to Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.
Last December, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized these two giants to use purified extracts of stevia in their products, namely Truvia.® (Coca-Cola) and PureVia® (PepsiCo). Remember that the FDA, like Health Canada, only allowed the sale of stevia in the form of a food supplement: its use was prohibited in processed food products.
As soon as the FDA decision was known, Coca-Cola announced the imminent launch of Sprite Green.® and some Odwalla juices® sweetened with stevia, while PepsiCo planned to market the SoBe Lifewater® calorie-free.
Although the two companies hope to counter the decline in sales of soft drinks in this way, the game is not won in advance. Indeed, stevia extract goes well with lemon drinks, but it seems that the recipe for cola is not yet complete. Plus, stevia extracts are around three times more expensive than the artificial sweeteners currently used in soft drinks.
Opposite reactions
Two organizations reacted in a totally opposite way to the FDA’s decision, by way of a press release. Mark Blumenthal, Founder and Director of the American Botanical Council, welcomed the approval, stressing that consumers could gain access to a safe, natural and calorie-free sweetener.1.
Michael F. Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, considers that it is far too early to allow millions of people to consume this substance. FDA should have demanded more long-term animal testing, especially for cancer risks2, he believes.
And in Canada?
When will we see stevia in Canadian soft drinks? At this time, the sale of stevia (raw plant and extract) is permitted here as a dietary supplement, but not as a sweetener added to processed foods. “There is currently not enough data or conclusive evidence on the safety of these compounds in the context of additions to foods,” says Health Canada.
The Ministry says it is ready to revise this position if the food industry applies for approval to add stevia extract to the authorized additives. Health Canada states, however, “cannot confirm, for reasons of confidentiality, whether license applications for this product are currently under consideration.”
In June 2008, a joint committee of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization approved the use of stevia extract as a food additive in processed products.3. Australia and New Zealand followed suit a few months later.
Françoise Ruby – PasseportSanté.net
According to Herbalgram, Wall Street Journal and NPR News.
1. American Botanical Council. FDA Approves Stevia as a Safe Food Additive, December 19, 2008. abc.herbalgram.org.
2. Jacobson Michael F. FDA Issues Midnight Go-ahead for Potentially Harmful Stevia Sweetener, December 18, 2008 www.cspinet.org.
3. Joint FAO / WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, Sixty-ninth meeting Rome, Italy, 17-26 June 2008. www.fao.org.
