Brussels, Belgium, 29 November 2012
The International Stevia Council celebrates key anniversaries of the approval of stevia extracts worldwide.
Celebration of Worldwide Stevia Anniversaries
“Following the positive safety opinions by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (1) in 2008, stevia extracts have gained global acceptance by many food regulatory agencies worldwide. Stevia extracts are a zero calorie solution for naturally sourced sweetness and contribute to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and balanced diet. This year a number of stevia approval anniversaries are taking place", - Zanna McFerson, President of the International Stevia Council (ISC)
In December 2012 it is four years since the US Food and Drug Administration (2) paved the way for the use of stevia extracts in food and beverage. Since then a lot of products with stevia can be found on the American market. This has enabled consumers to enjoy foods and beverages with lower sugar and calories through the use of stevia, a natural zero-calorie sweetener.
In the EU, the European Commission authorised the use of stevia extracts in November 2011 (3). After the EU approval, European consumers have benefitted from the introduction of table top sweeteners, flavoured drinks, confectionary and dairy products with stevia extracts on the shelves in the supermarkets.
"As the authoritative voice of the industry, the International Stevia Council is in regular contact with many regulatory agencies worldwide to provide information on stevia and its benefits", - Maria Teresa Scardigli, Executive Director of the ISC
Scardigli explains “The Council will continue to play a leading role in supporting regulatory approvals around the globe and looks forward to more stevia approvals in the coming years. Continuous regulatory approvals of stevia worldwide together with an increased market penetration due to additional product launches and enhanced consumer recognition of stevia sweetness are the key elements for the growth of the stevia market", - Maria Teresa Scardigli, Executive Director of the ISC
1 http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/jecfa-additives/specs/monograph5/additive-442-m5.pdf.
2 FDA has issued a no objection letter on the stevia extract Rebaudioside A hereby granting stevia extracts the status as Generally Recognised As Safe (GRAS). Since then, other stevia extracts have received GRAS status in the USA.
http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/NoticeInventory/ucm154988.htm.
3 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:295:0205:0211:EN:PDF.