From Forbes.com - 2008-02-08
NEW YORK (AP) - A new no-calorie alternative sweetener made from the leaves of a South American plant has created something of a sugar high in the food and beverage industry.
But it remains to be seen whether the Federal Drug Administration, which has historically raised safety concerns about using the plant as an additive, will ruin all the fun.
The sweetener, named Rebiana, is now being developed through a partnership between agricultural and industrial powerhouse Cargill Inc. and beverage giant Coca-Cola Inc.
The sweetener is made from the leaves of an herb called stevia. Since the sweetener is an 'all natural' alternative to more processed alterna-sugars like Splenda and Equal, the companies hope it will appeal to health-conscious consumers looking to cut calories without adding chemicals.
Industry watchers have been cautiously enthusiastic about the sweetener since Cargill announced its development last year.
Lyn Nabors, president of the Calorie Control Council, said a large percentage of consumers who use alternative sugars want more of them and would be interested in a more natural product.
Stevia, she said, 'is perceived as natural,' Nabors said. 'There's certainly a demand in this country for something natural.'
The companies hope to garner that corner of the market by using the sugar substitute in foods and beverages, starting with Coca-Cola beverages.
But it may be some time before consumers can buy any Rebiana-based products. Stevia-based sweeteners are already widely used in products in Japan and South Korea and are available as a nutritional supplement in the U.S. But stevia's use as an additive -- whether under the Rebiana name or not -- has yet to be approved by the Federal Drug Administration, and that's by no means a sure thing.
FDA spokesman Kimberly Rawlings declined to comment on the prospects for Rebiana's approval, saying only that stevia is considered 'an unapproved food additive' and cannot be promoted as a sweetener.
Cargill and Coca-Cola aren't the first to ask the FDA to approve stevia's use in foods and beverages. In 1991, the American Herbal Products Association submitted a petition to the agency asking it to conclude that stevia is generally accepted as a safe product. That petition was turned down.
Then in August, the FDA sent a warning letter to Hain Celestial in relation to its Zingers To Go Tangerine Orange Wave Herb Tea, which contained stevia as one of its ingredients.
In the letter, the FDA said it could not approve the use of stevia in the tea since 'data and information necessary to support the safe use have been lacking.'
'In fact, literature reports have raised safety concerns about the use of stevia, including concerns about control of blood sugar, and effects on the reproductive, cardiovascular and renal systems,' the FDA said in the letter.
NEW YORK (AP) - A new no-calorie alternative sweetener made from the leaves of a South American plant has created something of a sugar high in the food and beverage industry.
But it remains to be seen whether the Federal Drug Administration, which has historically raised safety concerns about using the plant as an additive, will ruin all the fun.
The sweetener, named Rebiana, is now being developed through a partnership between agricultural and industrial powerhouse Cargill Inc. and beverage giant Coca-Cola Inc.
The sweetener is made from the leaves of an herb called stevia. Since the sweetener is an 'all natural' alternative to more processed alterna-sugars like Splenda and Equal, the companies hope it will appeal to health-conscious consumers looking to cut calories without adding chemicals.
Industry watchers have been cautiously enthusiastic about the sweetener since Cargill announced its development last year.
Lyn Nabors, president of the Calorie Control Council, said a large percentage of consumers who use alternative sugars want more of them and would be interested in a more natural product.
Stevia, she said, 'is perceived as natural,' Nabors said. 'There's certainly a demand in this country for something natural.'
The companies hope to garner that corner of the market by using the sugar substitute in foods and beverages, starting with Coca-Cola beverages.
But it may be some time before consumers can buy any Rebiana-based products. Stevia-based sweeteners are already widely used in products in Japan and South Korea and are available as a nutritional supplement in the U.S. But stevia's use as an additive -- whether under the Rebiana name or not -- has yet to be approved by the Federal Drug Administration, and that's by no means a sure thing.
FDA spokesman Kimberly Rawlings declined to comment on the prospects for Rebiana's approval, saying only that stevia is considered 'an unapproved food additive' and cannot be promoted as a sweetener.
Cargill and Coca-Cola aren't the first to ask the FDA to approve stevia's use in foods and beverages. In 1991, the American Herbal Products Association submitted a petition to the agency asking it to conclude that stevia is generally accepted as a safe product. That petition was turned down.
Then in August, the FDA sent a warning letter to Hain Celestial in relation to its Zingers To Go Tangerine Orange Wave Herb Tea, which contained stevia as one of its ingredients.
In the letter, the FDA said it could not approve the use of stevia in the tea since 'data and information necessary to support the safe use have been lacking.'
'In fact, literature reports have raised safety concerns about the use of stevia, including concerns about control of blood sugar, and effects on the reproductive, cardiovascular and renal systems,' the FDA said in the letter.
Read the complete article on Forbes.com:-
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2008/02/08/afx4634988.html
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