FDA Approves 2 New Sweeteners

December 18, 2008
F.D.A. Approves 2 New Sweeteners
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Federal regulators have approved two versions of a new zero-calorie sweetener developed by the Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo, paving the way for new products.

Cargill, which is marketing the sweetener Truvia from Coca-Cola, said on Wednesday that it had received notification from the Food and Drug Administration that it had no objection to the product, calling it “generally recognized as safe.”

PepsiCo said it also had received a no-objection letter and the same designation from the agency related to its sweetener, PureVia.

Both products use rebiana, an extract from the stevia plant.

This week, Coca-Cola said it would begin selling products made with the new zero-calorie sweetener despite not yet receiving the official word from the government.

PepsiCo said it would not follow suit until the F.D.A. issued the designation.

PepsiCo, based in Purchase, N.Y., said Wednesday that it would be releasing three new zero-calorie SoBe Lifewater flavors: Fuji Apple Pear, Black and Blue Berry and Yumberry Pomegranate. The products will be in stores this year, the company said.

Coca-Cola, based in Atlanta, said Wednesday it would introduce an extension of its Sprite line with the Truvia sweetener.

PureCircle could be winner in Pepsi v Coca-Cola stevia wars

PureCircle could be winner in Pepsi v Coca-Cola stevia wars
By Sarah Hills, 06-Aug-2008
Breaking News on Food & Beverage Development - North America

As both PepsiCo and Coca-Cola gear up to launch beverages sweetened with stevia, it could be that their common supplier, PureCircle, is the real winner in the race to be first to market.

PureCircle, a Malaysian company has just signed long-term contracts to supply PepsiCo and its partner the Whole Earth Sweetener Company with its all-natural, zero-calorie sweetener, Reb-A, under the PureVia brand. In addition, it has been granted an exclusive license to market Reb-A as PureVia as long as there is no conflict of interest, according to Peter Milsted, sales and marketing director at PureCircle.

This is on top of PureCircle’s contract to supply Cargill, which teamed up with Coca-Cola to develop their own stevia-derived product called Truvia in response to strong consumer demand for low-calorie products.

The beverage giants are preparing to launch drinks sweetened with stevia, which is permitted for sale in the US as a dietary supplement on the basis of its low glycemic index, but is yet to be generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in beverages.

However, Milsted told FoodNavigator-USA.com: “We are absolutely assuming that this product will be free to use in the USA from here on in.

“We supply high purity Reb-A both to Cargill and to PepsiCo. We started off with an exclusive contact with Cargill. That ended a few weeks ago. We have extended the contract for a further length of time on a non-exclusive basis.

He explained that it had been the company’s strategy initial to be a “market maker as oppose to being part of somebody’s supply chain”.

Milsted said that Cargill was happy to accept the change in contract as long as it was assured of continued supply, which reflected PureCircle’s ability to “supply consistently and at serious volumes”.

Likewise, he claimed that PepsiCo was happy for PureVia to be exploited as widely as it can, as long as it wasn’t used in areas of competition, such as similar drinks.

And he predicts that other companies will follow their lead and use Reb-A as a sweetener.

Milsted said: “We aim to carry on and make the investments that we have made already in our supply chain and are continuing to make, and that they lead to large contracts with large suppliers.

“We are talking pretty much with every food and beverage manufacturer that anybody has every heard of and the interest is strong and genuine.”

Supply volumes

In November PureCircle said it would float on London's AIM in a bid to raise $50m to expand Reb-A (Rebaudioside-A) sweetener production and secure an advantage in anticipation of an explosion in demand.

The company said at the time that global annual consumption of sugar and all other sweeteners was an estimated 150m tonnes. PureCircle's Reb-A accounted for just 0.2 per cent of this volume (0.3m tonnes).

The company owned a 55 per cent stake in a subsidiary called Ganzhou Julong, which is involved in large-scale stevia plantation and production of crude extracts. PureCircle believed its capacity for crude stevia extraction was the largest in the world at 1000 tonnes of crude extract are produced per annum.

By the end of this year it predicted that it would increase this to 3000 tonnes per annum.

Stevia market

Reb-A is the sweetest, purest part of the leaf from the South American stevia plant, which is approximately 200 times as sweet as sugar.

The US market for stevia is estimated to be worth about $60m, a figure analysts say could triple if FDA GRAS is granted. Currently the biggest markets for stevia are Japan and Korea.

Whole Earth, a subsidiary of Merisant Company, has submitted a notification and supporting scientific data to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that PureVia is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use in beverages, foods and tabletop sweeteners.

The US's largest supplier of stevia, Wisdom Natural Brands, announced in June that it is launching the natural sweetener beyond the dietary supplements aisle for the first time, after having self-affirmed its version of stevia - Sweet Leaf - as GRAS. It said at the time that the ingredient will be available in a soda or food products by the year’s end.

Coca-Cola and Cargill also recently published science backing their ingredient, Truvia.

Last week PepsiCo told FoodNavigator-USA.com that it would prefer to wait for FDA approval before bringing PureVia to consumers in the United States. But it will debut in a new nutritionally enhanced PepsiCo beverage called SoBe Life, to be launched in Latin America, starting with Peru next month. It will then be rolled out globally.

Stevia and Diabetes

Stevia and Diabetes

From SteviaInfo.com - 2008-10-27

The figures are alarming by any measure.

Nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes, an increase of over 3 million in just two years. That translates to about 8% of the U.S. population that is affected mainly with Type 2 diabetes. Even more alarming, roughly 57 million people are pre-diabetic, a condition where blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet to be classified as diabetic.

Diabetes is a disease wherein the body does not produce or use insulin properly. Type 1 Diabetes is when the body does not produce insulin, the hormone needed to convert sugar (or glucose) and starches into energy for use. Type 2 Diabetes, the most common form, is when the body does not produce enough insulin. Type 2 Diabetes is worsened by obesity, lack of exercise and a poor diet. There are no known cures for diabetes.

Voluminous studies have linked diabetes and heart disease and its attendant complications such as stoke, hypertension, high cholesterol and heart attacks. The most severe complications also include blindness, kidney failure, nervous system damage, lower limb amputations and diabetic coma.

This social epidemic also carries a heavy economic burden. The American Diabetes Association reported that as of 2007, the total annual economic cost of diabetes was estimated at $174 billion. Medical expenditures were estimated at $116 billion, including $27 billion for direct diabetes care and $58 billion for complications arising from diabetes. A person with diabetes spends $13,243 yearly in health expenses to manage this disease.

Despite the daunting statistics, diabetes is preventable or can be delayed. The single greatest factor that can prevent the onset of diabetes is lifestyle modification. That means people who lose weight, exercise regularly, and maintain a proper diet can delay or even prevent the onset of diabetes.

The key to managing diabetes is control of blood sugar, or glucose levels. Controlling what the body takes in can have a significant effect in regulating the blood sugar. The latest research shows that carbohydrates affect blood sugar levels the same way. So it is not the type of sugar per se, but the number of carbohydrates in the food that matters.

It is not a sin to crave for sweets. The practical solution for diabetics is to use calorie-free sugar substitutes that contain no carbohydrates. Calorie and carbohydrate-free sugar substitutes will not raise blood glucose levels. Artificial sweeteners help people regulate sugar intake by metabolizing energy more slowly, ensuring more stable blood glucose levels. However, despite containing artificial sweeteners or a “Sugar-free” seal, some foods can still affect blood glucose because of other carbohydrates in the food.

Studies have shown that artificial sugar substitutes may also disrupt with the brain’s ability to discern sweetness and calories. These sugar substitutes interfere by making the body unable to count calories based on sweetness, thus making people more likely to overindulge. So, ironically, artificial sweeteners could be helping obese people gain more weight.

Of all the natural sugar substitutes, the South American herb stevia presents the best case against artificial sweeteners. First, it is natural, native to Paraguay and used by the Guaraní Indians as a natural sweetener for centuries. Now, stevia is cultivated in Central and South America, Mexico and East Asia including China. Second, over 200 extensive studies have been conducted on this herbal sweetener attesting to its safety, non-toxicity and ability in managing diabetes.

Stevia was discovered to have anti-diabetic properties such as helping to lower and control blood sugar levels and improve muscle tone. Stevia does not affect blood pressure or increase the levels of blood sugar. In fact, a Brazilian study noted a decrease in blood sugar levels of people who took stevia. The key benefit of stevia is it stimulates the release of insulin and normalizes blood glucose levels. It can also be used as a therapy to hyperglycemia and has demonstrated anti-microbial, antibacterial and anti-yeast activity.

Japan is the largest consumer of stevia with annual consumption worth $200 million, or 40% of the sweetener market. Stevia was introduced in Japan in 1970. Australia, New Zealand and Canada have recently approved stevia as a dietary supplement. Malaysia, Indonesia, Russia, Korea, Germany and China have been huge stevia consumer for years. Latin American countries apply stevia to help regulate glucose levels in Type 2 diabetes.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration classify stevia as a dietary supplement.

Stevia can help meet sugar demand

Stevia can help meet sugar demand
From The Financial Express - 2006-06-03

Stevia, a kind of herbal plant which is widely used as an alternative to sugar in many developed countries like Australia, Canada, China, Japan and the United States (US) for a long time, can help meet country's growing demand for sugar, an expert said.

The scientific name of the herbal plant is 'Stevia Serrata' and family name being 'Asteraceae'. It is sometimes known as sweet leaf or 'Chinipata'.

Talking to the news agency, herbal scientist Alamgir Mati said the compound made of stevai leaf is 300 times sweeter than our common sugar.

Elaborating the quality of the plant, he further said 5gm stevia leaf contains the same power as it exists in 1.0 kg of sugar. Mati also said 1.0 kg of sugar is being sold now at Tk 65 while it takes at best only Tk 5.0 to produce 5gm stevia.

"Being an agro-based country, Bangladesh could easily cultivate the plant in its vast 'char' lands as it grows well in open space having regular sunlight," he added. "After 60 days of cultivation, the leaf of the plant can be harvested and be turned into granules like that of sugar", said the herbal expert.

The renowned herbal expert said the stevia granules could be used in making bread, lozenge, biscuit and sweetmeat like sugar.

Alamgir, who is now working with the plant, said "If the country's vast char areas are brought under Stevia cultivation it can help reduce the import of sugar side by side help create job opportunities for a large number of unemployed youths.

Describing medicinal quality of the plant, the herbal expert said it has no side effect as an alternative to sugar. Rather, it reduces blood pressure risks of the obesity and diabetic patients because it contains low- carbohydrate.

The expert urged the government to take effective measures for the cultivation of the plant, especially in the backdrop of fall of sugar production in Bangladesh.

Stevia used as a sugar substitute

Stevia used as a sugar substitute
by Dr. Rachel Roberts Oppitz
From Billings Gazette - 2005-09-25

Dear Dr. Oppitz: So if sugar and artificial sweeteners are out, are there natural sweeteners available? - D.D., Billings

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) is a small shrub native to Paraguay; it also grows in China, Brazil and Argentina.

Its leaves contain compounds called glycosides, which are 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. In its unprocessed form, stevia is highly nutritious, containing such vitamins and minerals as magnesium, niacin, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, chromium, potassium and vitamins A and C. The leaves also contain fiber, protein and at least 100 phytonutrients.

Stevia has been used throughout the world as a sweetener for centuries. In Japan, stevia holds approximately a 52 percent share of the sweetener market, which includes sugar. In the United States, stevia is sold strictly as a dietary supplement and not as a sweetener.

People in Japan, China, Israel, Brazil, and Paraguay use stevia as a sweetener and for a variety of medicinal purposes, from healing wounds to aiding digestion. Stevia does not promote cavities and may retard the growth of bacteria. Because the human body does not metabolize the sweet glycosides - they pass right through the normal elimination channels - the body obtains no calories from stevia; therefore it is safe for diabetics and hypoglycemics in its pure, unadulterated form. For people with blood sugar, blood pressure or weight problems, stevia is the most desirable sweetener.

Why, then, is stevia not a common feature of restaurants and homes in the U.S.? Although most research conducted in Japan in the '70s and '80s showed no evidence it might be carcinogenic, the Food and Drug Administration has designated stevia and its extracts as "unapproved food additives." The implication is "use at your own risk."

Stevia advocates insist efforts to keep it out of the mainstream merely reflect lobbying by the sugar and artificial sweetener industries. They reason that centuries of use by South American tribes and 50 years of use by worldwide consumers are testimony enough to the safety of stevia.

Stevia is commercially available in three forms: Dried leaves, powdered extract and liquid extract. Stevia can enhance the effect of other sweeteners such as honey and maple syrup, so adding it to recipes can help reduce the amount of sweetener needed.

Unlike artificial sweeteners, sweet glycosides do not break down in heat, which makes stevia an excellent sweetener for cooking and baking. Using stevia requires some experimentation; too much can leave an overpowering aftertaste, while too little produces almost no sweetness.

Plant source, extraction process and the presence of fillers can affect stevia's taste, sometimes creating a bitter flavor. In the powdered and liquid forms of stevia, fillers such as maltodextrin are added, reducing sweetness.

Consumers looking for a sweetener with no calories and which doesn't alter blood sugar levels will probably prefer the white stevioside powder. However, consumers who also want health-restoring benefits will want premium quality leaves or water-based stevia extract.

Stevia in liquid form makes it easier to sweeten cereals and drinks such as tea, smoothies or lemonade. Stevia liquid can be made at home by adding 1/4 teaspoon stevioside to one ounce of water.

To replace sugar in recipes, substitute one cup of sugar with 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of ground stevia leaves or 1/4 teaspoon stevioside. Other ingredients in the recipe may need adjustment.

For more recipes, refer to "The Stevia Cookbook," by Ray Sahelian or "Baking with Stevia I&II," by Rita DePuydt. Additionally, I have included recipes using stevia and a sugar/stevia conversion table at our Web site at www.yncnaturally.com.

Rachel Roberts Oppitz, ND, is a resident at Yellowstone Naturopathic Clinic. She completed pre-med at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. She received her doctorate of naturopathic medicine from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland.

Stevia - Healthy and Sweet

Stevia - Healthy and Sweet
by Jane Shephard
From HealthyChild.com - 2005-04-21

Wouldn’t it be great to have a completely non-toxic sweetener that does not raise blood sugar levels, has no calories, may help prevent cavities, and is much sweeter than sugar so you need less? Well, we do have such a substance, and it’s available from herbalists and at health food stores. This wonderful, little known herb is called stevia.

Stevia Rebaudiana is an herb that grows wild in Paraguay and Brazil. It is much sweeter than sugar (10-15 times sweeter) and does not have the unhealthy disadvantages that you get with sugar. The refined extracts of Stevia (steviosides) may be 200-300 times sweeter than refined sugar. It has been thoroughly tested around the world and found to be completely non-toxic. It has been used to sweeten foods and beverages for centuries. Stevia is a safe, all-natural alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners.

When tested by Purdue University’s Dental Science Research Group, they concluded that “stevioside is both fluoride compatible and significantly inhibits the development of plaque, thus stevia may actually help to prevent cavities”.

Raw stevia contains a wealth of phytonutrients and volatile oils. However, the nutritional benefits are minimal considering the quantity that is typically consumed. Since the extracts are more refined, they will contain even less. So you can’t expect to get nutritional benefit from stevia, but unlike refined sugar, stevia won’t drain the body of important nutrients.

Stevia can be used to replace sugar in drinks, baking and cooking. It is a good idea to experiment with different quantities. Keep in mind that the high stevioside extracts (200-300 times sweeter) should be used real sparingly. The herbal powder is 10 to 15 times sweeter.

Actually, this wonder herb does have one drawback. It does not caramelize like sugar does, so if you need to have this effect, don’t use stevia. But if this is the only problem with stevia, it may be worthwhile to try it as a replacement to the sugar in your kids’ food. Shop for it at your local natural foods store.

Could stevia be the answer to diabetes treatment?

Could stevia be the answer to diabetes treatment?
by Patrick B. Massey, M.D
From Daily Herald - 2002-05-20

Diabetes is one of the fastest growing diseases in this country, especially in the adult population. People with the disease often are prone to high blood pressure, vision changes and decreases in arterial blood flow, which can lead to heart disease or stroke.

There are many reasons for the explosive increase in diabetes, among them obesity, sedentary lifestyles, genetics and, to some degree, sugar consumption. In the United States, the average person consumes more than 120 pounds of sugar each year.

Humans seem to be born with a sweet tooth. This has spawned a multibillion-dollar industry for the development of sugar alternatives.

Interestingly, nature has provided a sugar substitute called stevia. Wild stevia is a perennial shrub native to the Amambay mountain region in Paraguay. It has been used for centuries by the natives as a sweetener and in the 1800s was "re-discovered" and used throughout Latin America. In 1931, stevioside was isolated as the active part of the stevia leaf. The Japanese use it and today it accounts for about 41 percent of their total artificial sweetener market.

Stevia has some very interesting properties. It has no calories but has actions similar to several currently used medications. It stimulates the release of insulin and normalizes the response to glucose, especially in type 2 diabetes. It is used in Latin America as an inexpensive therapy for hyperglycemia.

In good medical studies, regular consumption of stevia also reduces high blood pressure without reducing normal blood pressure. Medical publications have shown that it affects calcium transport in a way that is similar to a class of drugs called calcium channel blockers (like verapamil), which commonly are used to treat high blood pressure. In laboratory animals, stevia also can induce diuresis or water release, similar to diuretics also used to treat high blood pressure.

One study even showed that stevia could prevent infection by the rotovirus, a common viral infection among school-age children.

There are claims that stevia can help skin conditions and stomach problems and enhance immunity, but these have not been examined by the medical community. Raw leaves might be contaminated by bacteria and fungi and I do not recommend their use.

I am a proponent for the study, development and use of natural products for many chronic diseases. The few products we have ever examined seem to be safe, effective and inexpensive. They also do wonders for agricultural economies. Stevia seems to do the work of at least four medications at a fraction of the cost and, possibly, with fewer side effects. It would be interesting to directly compare stevia with currently used oral diabetic medications.

Patrick B. Massey, M.D., Ph.D., is medical director for alternative and complementary medicine for Alexian Brothers Hospital Network.