My mom, an avid reader of nutritional newsletters, claims that the FDA has, for all practical purposes, conspired with the artificial sweetener industry to keep stevia extract - sold in health food stores as natural sugar
substitute - out of retail groceries. She says the FDA (and others) tested stevia, found it safe, yet refused to approve it for general consumption under pressure from (or in collusion with) the artificial sweetener manufacturers, who fear a loss of market share. I love my mom, but this
sounds a bit far fetched. After all, wouldn’t these manufacturers simply market their own “stevia brew” if it were economical to do so? IS stevia safe? DID the FDA find something wrong? What’s the straight stevia dope?
I don’t know about the situation with Stevia, but I know that the Sugar industry is alledged to be responsible for the bad rap that saccharin had for so long. It is conceiveable that the artificial sweetener industry is trying to pull the same thing on stevia that was pulled on saccharin. I wouldn’t be surprised.
Here is what the FDA’s website has to say about stevia. (The paragraph is taken from a piece on “Sugar Substitutes: Americans Opt for Sweetness and Lite” by John Henkel, a staff writer for FDA Consumer found at http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fdsugar.html
“Another product, stevia, is derived from a South American shrub. Though it can impart a sweet taste to foods, it cannot be sold as a sweetener because FDA considers it an unapproved food additive. “The safety of stevia has been questioned by published studies,” says Martha Peiperl, a consumer safety officer in FDA’s Office of Premarket Approval. “And no one has ever provided FDA with adequate evidence that the substance is safe.” Under provisions of 1994 legislation, however, stevia can be sold as a “dietary supplement,” though it cannot be promoted as a sweetener.”
The key statement is, “And no one has ever provided FDA with adequate evidence that the substance is safe.” The FDA cannot approve a new food additive without evidence that it is safe. This evidence has to be provided by the marketer; the FDA has no budget to test it.
Stevia is a natural substance (basically a dried, crushed leif) as such it can’t be patented. Artificial sweetner companies - particulary Nutrasweet have lobbied against this and kept it out of the US. It finally made it in as a food supliment or something like that.
That is what I got from various low-carb sources over the years.
Also I have a bottle of Now Stevia Extract and it doesn’t mention it is a sweetner (according to the above they can’t) but says:
“Stevia Rebaudiana can be mixed into hot water to dilute its extreme sweetness.”
And that stuff is really sweet, I put back (did not open it,) the bottle and can taste the sweetness in the air, then tasted my finger. This stuff really gets everywhere.
“Artificial sweetner companies - particulary Nutrasweet have lobbied against this and kept it out of the US.”
k2dave, could you share with us your evidence for your statement? Thanks.
You can buy or grow the stuff (Park Seed Co. is one source of Stevia seed) and use it as a sweetener. You just can’t market it as a sweetener without satisfying the FDA as to its safety.
I’d also like to see evidence that there’s any plot against Stevia. Conspiracy theories like this abound in the supplement industry. It’s good for business.