NEW YORK, May 16, 2008 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Cargill and The Coca-Cola Co. said
new research establishes the safety of rebiana, a sweetener from the stevia
plant.
The two companies developed rebiana for general use to sweeten foods and
beverages, the companies said Thursday in a release. It will be marketed by
Cargill under the brand name Truvia.
The results of the Cargill-funded studies, published online in the journal Food
and Chemical Toxicology, could move the companies closer toward gaining U.S.
approval for their sweetener, the Wall Street Journal said Thursday.
Coca-Cola and Cargill said the new studies dispute research from 1985 that
suggested health risks ranging from mutations in the livers of rats to concerns
about male fertility problems, the newspaper said. A World Health Organization
report has found no major toxicity risks.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled in the 1990s there wasn't enough
data to demonstrate stevia's safety as a food additive, although the FDA does
allow the herb to be sold as a dietary supplement.
The sweetener is currently approved as a food additive in 12 countries,
including Japan, Brazil and China.
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