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The FDA allows natural sugar replacement stevia
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by Sanja Gjenero
Today I saw my first commercial for Truviatm, a Cargill company product now being marketed as a natural sweetener made from stevia. Long known as a sugar replacement amongst the natural health and wellness circles, stevia is an herb with a very sweet taste.
For many years the FDA fought against the use of stevia in the United States. These protests came despite its acceptance in other countries, and the studies that suggested using stevia as a sweetener would not adversely affect blood sugar levels - a boon for diabetics and hypoglycemics!
The plant was first introduced to the USDA as a potential sugar substitute in 1921, yet it wasn't until 1995 that the FDA even authorized the sale of stevia in the United States. And even that was only for use as a "dietary supplement" rather than a food ingredient.
In 2007 Coca-Cola and Cargill applied to patent rebiana, which is touted as a "high-purity form of the best tasting part of the stevia leaf" on the Truviatm website. Finally in December 2008 the FDA has granted permission for the use of stevia as a food ingredient by issuing letters of "no contest" to these companies requesting to take advantage of the many benefits of stevia.
One has to wonder why it took more than 70 years for the FDA to allow companies to use stevia as a sugar replacement in food and sweet drinks. The benefits and safety have been proven over a long period of time and the acceptance of this herb should have supported its use in America.
Some who are looking for alternatives to sugar and aspartame are thrilled to see the end of what has been called "oppression by the FDA". Others point out that small or independent companies may have trouble getting the same letters of no contest as the large companies received and thus, remain skeptical. Either way, look for stevia-sweetened products to hit grocery store shelves soon as a viable alternative to aspartame and Splenda®.
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