Study Adds to Stevia Reb A Safety Reputation

Rebaudiside A does not pose any safety questions regarding genotoxicity, according to a new study that supports the safety profile of this up-and-coming sweetener.

Lonnie Williams and George Burdock from the Burdock Group report their conclusions in Food and Chemical Toxicology: “These studies provide additional evidence that Reb A is not genotoxic at the doses tested and further support the generally recognized as safe determination of Reb A.”

Interest in the sweetener has been intense, particularly since the FDA issued its non-objection in December that the stevia-derived sweetener Reb A is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) as a food additive. Differentiation must be made between rebaudiside A and steviol glycosides in general. Rebaudioside A, also known as Reb A and rebiana, is a high-intensity sweetener derived from the stevia leaf. It is said to be approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar.

Williams and Burdock tested high purity (over 95 per cent) Reb A according to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and FDA Redbook guidelines for genotoxicity studies. The study supports findings from published in the same journal last year (Food and Chemical Toxicology, July 2008, Vol. 46, Supplement 1, Pages S1-S92), which found that rebiana - a high-purity Rebaudioside A from stevia - is safe for use as a sweetener for foods and beverages.

An overview in the journal’s supplement by scientists from Coca-Cola, Cargill, and an independent toxicologist said that the studies found the ingredient met all current JEFCA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives) specifications for steviol glycosides. “The due diligence of the rebiana scientific program reported in this Supplement reflects a commitment by industry partners to, at long last, fully address regulatory requirements for this naturally occurring sweetener by providing the scientific basis to conclude high purity rebaudioside A (rebiana), produced under current GMP to food-grade standards, is safe and appropriate for introduction into the global marketplace,” they concluded.

By Stephen Daniells

Article published courtesy of www.foodnavigator-usa.com