ConsumerLab.com Fails Nutrition Powders Containing Stevia

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.--ConsumerLab.com released not only a review today in which all but two products passed, but also a survey on its Web site users' supplement usage habits. For the review, ConsumerLab.com tested 26 nutrition powders and drinks, 24 of which passed. The two that did not pass were labeled as foods and contained the natural sweetener stevia. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently permits the use of stevia alone or only in products labeled as dietary supplements.

In late 2001, ConsumerLab.com purchased 23 nutrition powders and three nutrition drinks. Twenty were marketed for protein content while six were promoted as meal-replacements for weight-loss. Of these products, only seven were labeled as dietary supplements. According to the company, the powders and drinks that passed its tests met label claims for carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

After finding stevia in two protein powders, ConsumerLab.com did not conduct further tests on them. Although stevia is currently used in foods in Japan and parts of South America, the U.S. FDA, Canadian regulators and the European Community do not allow stevia in food because of "inadequate safety data regarding its use," according to ConsumerLab.com.

"Stevia is permitted to be used as an ingredient in nutritional supplements or as a stand-alone nutritional supplement within the guidelines of DSHEA [the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act]," said Steve May, chief operating officer of Phoenix-based Wisdom Herbs and founder of the U.S. Stevia Council. "Stevia is prevented from use in food because the FDA has failed to approve petitions to have it approved as a sweetener." He added that stevia manufacturers are rallying to raise the approximately $2 million it would take, from application to approval, to get the product approved for sweetener status, which is usually applied to chemical-based products such as Equal and Sweet'N Low. "I'm really concerned that ConsumerLab.com would mislead American consumers to believe FDA has not approved stevia because of a lack in safety data. That's just not true."

In other ConsumerLab.com news, a survey conducted by the company found that the most common reason for taking dietary supplements was for general health (67 percent). Other reasons included colds (53 percent), osteoarthritis (39 percent), energy enhancement (37 percent), cholesterol management (28 percent), cancer prevention (28 percent), allergies (27 percent) and weight management (25 percent). Of those who used supplements, only 36 percent reported concurrently using prescription drugs; the most used medication was for treating and/or preventing asthma. Those who did not use prescription drugs cited reasons such as side effects (33 percent) and other safety issues (25 percent).

The survey was based on 3,226 responses from members of ConsumerLab.com's e-Mail Alert List, and was conducted by Hartman Interactive, a division of The Hartman Group. "The sample was intentionally designed to reflect supplement users," Cooperman noted. "This was a well-informed group of supplement consumers."

Both the review and survey can be found at www.consumerlab.com.