Stevia extract takes step toward EU acceptance
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Steviol glycosides are neither genotoxic nor carcinogenic at an acceptable daily intake of 4 mg per kg of body weight daily, according to the European Food Safety Authority's scientific panel on additives. EFSA will submit its evaluation to the European Commission for consideration of whether the stevia extracts are safe to add to foods and beverages, the authority said April 14. In a same-day release, Truvia maker Cargill called the EFSA decision "a very important milestone in the path of European regulatory approval of steviol glycosides." EFSA's ADI determination for steviol glycosides is in line with that reached by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the World Health Organization and United Nations in 2008 (1"The Tan Sheet" Nov. 3, 2008)