California Firm Claims Economical Stevia Production
Posted on January 11, 2008 under News| Health
A Southern California based GMP manufacturer has announced the isolation of Rebaudioside A, a compound of the herb stevia, using economical processes. The company, Blue California, plans to go into industrial scale production in 2008 making use of proprietary processes that promise to translate into lower stevia prices for both manufacturers and consumers.
Stevia is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar, and like licorice can offer a bitter aftertaste. Blue California claims its isolation process for Rebaudioside A also does away with the bitterness.
Stevia is available for use in the US only as a dietary supplement, and not as an additive. It has a niche following among people, particularly diabetics and health-conscious consumers, who look for natural substitutes to sugar. The interest in stevia and the huge potential that exists in the face of known health hazards of sugar have caused manufacturers to band together to lobby the FDA for approval. Prominent among these are Coca Cola and Cargill foods who have teamed up to introduce a stevia based sweetener under the name Rebiana.
There is a sense in the market that approval may come soon. The FDA on its part says that the available data on stevia do not suggest that it’s safe for use as a food ingredient.
For now, stevia lobbyists and companies have two ways by which to garner FDA approval – they can classify the ingredient as “generally classified as safe” in which case they will need to have authoritative scientific research to back their claims, or they can petition the FDA for approval of stevia as a food ingredient.
Comments
Leave a Reply