Stevia Remains Unapproved as Sweetener

Stevia Remains Unapproved as Sweetener

DETROIT--Several companies and groups have tried to get the Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) to approve stevia as a sweetener or to classify it"generally recognized as safe" (GRAS), a category for food ingredientssuch as sugar and water. However, stevia will remain a dietary supplement untilsomeone presents the FDA with conclusive evidence that it is safe. In the UnitedStates, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) reports, theaverage person consumes 20 teaspoons of sugar per day.

Stevia, a shrub originally from South America and now grown in Asia, hassweet-tasting leaves that have found a market in the states. It was banned as animport in 1991 and was not imported again until 1994, when it was allowed to belabeled and sold as a dietary supplement. FDA still questions stevia's effectson blood sugar as well as on reproductive, cardiovascular and renal systems;additional research needs to be done on stevia's effects on pregnant women,infants and people taking prescription drugs.

The European Commission's Scientific Committee on Food also ruled that steviawas unacceptable as a sweetener. "The way we look at it is the FDA and theEuropean Commission are protecting the public health by holding off on thisstuff until we have a better idea if it's a danger to humans to consume,"said David Schardt, a nutritionist for a nonprofit organization.

Currently, CSPI is reviewing past research on stevia and is expected to issuea position paper in the next few months. Health professionals advise thatconsuming too much of any sweetener, whether it's sugar or stevia, could presenta health risk.