Reb A on USP Radar

ROCKVILLE, Md.—USP is seeking comment on a proposed monograph standard for Rebaudioside A (Reb A), a stevia-based sweetener posed for mainstream market penetration, after FDA issued no objection letters in December 2008 on the GRAS status of two Reb A ingredients.

Darrell Abernathy, M.D., Ph.D., chief science officer, USP, said: “As U.S. manufacturers begin to incorporate this new ingredient into their products, it is important for these companies and, ultimately, consumers to have some sort of assurance that the Rebaudioside A being used is of high quality, is free of harmful contaminants and is consistent in its contents from one batch to the next.”

The Reb A monograph includes specs on ingredient identity and purity, and will seek to establish chemical reference standards and analytical testing procedures. It was posted Dec. 31, 2008, in the FCC Forum section of the USP Web site. Comments will be taken for a 90-day period from posting date, after which a group of independent scientific experts will approve a final monograph for inclusion in the 2009 FCC supplement.