Beverage giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are poised to launch products containing their own brands of rebiana, which is from the stevia plant, but it is argued that more evidence is needed to show that the sweetener is safe. A review of safety data was carried out by the toxicologists on behalf of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. It said that carcinogenicity studies have not found stevioside (which differs slightly from rebiana) to be carcinogenic in rats but further studies on rebiana, including a study on mice, are needed.
This is partly because several genotoxicity studies found that stevioside and steviol cause mutations, chromosomal damage, and DNA breakage which "indicate the need for greater reassurance of noncarcinogenicity" as rebiana might cause similar problems, or cancer, in humans. Same old story.
The march to bring Stevia into the mainstream heats up as GLG Life Tech Corporation has struck a deal with US-based Weider Global Nutrition to take the sweetener to mass markets around the globe.
The new joint business is to be called GLG Weider Sweet Naturals Corp (or Sweet Naturals) and it is already focusing on the sale of Stevia-based dietary and tabletop supplements. However, it is positioning itself for an expansion in the Stevia market should regulations in countries such as the US change. There you go, we have another aspartame story here (you do remember the one, don't you? It's the one when Rumsfeld called in his political chips to override the FDA's scientific doubts) It doesn't seem to matter that there are not enough studies, it won't stop these companies from marketing their stuff.
The products will focus on high quality Stevia extract, including Rebpure, an industrial powder with 97 percent pure Rebaudioside A (also known as rebiana and Reb A). David Bishop, the executive VP for international affairs with GLG, counts Cargill (ha!) among its clients and said that companies were lining up to ensure they are in a position to bring food and drink products to market. I bet. Here is what Bishop says:
"We are finding a lot of serious interest for our products from companies that presently have a use for them and those that are anticipating the changes in regulation. They want to be ready to go with stevia-based products when they can."
And this in Business Weekly:
In anticipation of this demand, GLG has been rapidly expanding and expects to open two new stevia processing plants in China, in addition to its existing plant. This will increase its primary processing volumes of Rebaudioside A from 300 metric tons per year to 2,000 metric tons per year.
Certain Stevia products are currently sold as supplements in the United States. Stevia-based sweeteners have not yet been approved for use in the United States, Canada or Europe, although they are in use in several global markets, most notably Japan, China and Korea.
For those who don't know about Rebiana, it's the sweetest, purest part of the leaf from the South American Stevia plant, which is approximately 200 times as sweet as sugar.
The study, called 'Toxicology of Rebaudioside A: A Review', is by Sarah Kobylewski, a doctoral student, and Curtis D Eckhert, Ph.D, professor of environmental health sciences and molecular toxicology at the University of California.
However note that there are conflicts of interest in some of the recent research on Rebiana, as it was sponsored by Cargill, one of ma bete noire of the multinational world. |
