FDA Approves New Sweetener for U.S.

A stevia plant

The newly approved sweetener is called stevia and is a herbal, zero-calorie, zero-carbohydrate sweetener.  Stevia has been available in the States for some time but because it had not yet been approved as a sweetener, it has been coyly marked as a “dietary supplement.”  

Now Coca-Cola and Pepsi both have stevia-sweetened sweeteners ready for the market; thus, the FDA no longer has any objection to stevia as a sweetener.  This new approval will open doors for more stevia-sweetened products to hit the U.S. market.

Stevia is considered by many to be a far more natural and safer zero-calorie sweetener than Equal and Splenda.  In fact, the leaves of the stevia plant are naturally sweet and calorie-free.  (Commercial sweeteners produced from stevia, however, are highly refined and concentrated.)  And unlike Equal and Splenda, stevia seems to have beneficial effects on blood sugar control. 

 ”Soon you’ll see stevia in pretty much every food product you can imagine,” predicts Oscar Rodes, the founder of Texas-based producer Stevita Co., who is betting the herb could eventually account for 20 percent of the overall sweetener market.  So remember the name.  Because you’ll be hearing it a lot starting in the near future.