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Studies Back Sweetener's Safety - WSJ.com
By BETSY MCKAY
May 15, 2008; Page D6
A set of scientific studies probing the health effects and stability of a calorie-free natural sweetener that Cargill Inc. and Coca-Cola Co. aim to market are expected to be published Thursday, offering evidence of its safety, according to people familiar with the research.
The findings were funded by Cargill and are being published online in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology. The results could put the two companies one step closer toward gaining U.S. regulatory approval for their sweetener, which is derived from the South American herb stevia.
The companies hope the sweetener, which bears the brand name Truvia and the common name rebiana, will give them a lock on the "holy grail" of sweeteners: one that sweetens foods and beverages naturally, has no calories and tastes good.
Stevia isn't approved for use as a food additive in the U.S. Studies over the past two decades on its health effects have logged in a number of problems, from research in 1985 finding potential mutations in the livers of rats to concerns about fertility problems in men. Some countries banned stevia after the 1985 findings. In the early 1990s, the Food and Drug Administration concluded that there wasn't enough data available to demonstrate stevia's safety as a food additive, although it later allowed it to be sold as a dietary supplement.
Coke and Cargill dispute the 1985 study and have said their new product differs from the unrefined versions of stevia used in early tests. A more recent World Health Organization report found no major toxicity risks, but said more data are needed on the herb's effect on hypertension and blood-sugar levels, given some concerns that high doses of stevia compounds may lower blood pressure or blood-sugar levels in diabetics.
The studies being published Thursday explored those questions and others. The series of animal studies and human clinical trials found that consumption of the sweetener didn't affect blood-sugar control in Type 2 diabetics, and it had no major effect on blood pressure of healthy adults, among other questions. A study of rats explored the sweetener's effect on male and female reproductive systems.
The companies said last year that they would move to market the sweetener in 12 countries where it is approved as a food additive, including Japan, Brazil and China. But limited supply means it will take some time before it is widely available.
Studies Back Sweetener's Safety - WSJ.com
By BETSY MCKAY
May 15, 2008; Page D6
A set of scientific studies probing the health effects and stability of a calorie-free natural sweetener that Cargill Inc. and Coca-Cola Co. aim to market are expected to be published Thursday, offering evidence of its safety, according to people familiar with the research.
The findings were funded by Cargill and are being published online in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology. The results could put the two companies one step closer toward gaining U.S. regulatory approval for their sweetener, which is derived from the South American herb stevia.
The companies hope the sweetener, which bears the brand name Truvia and the common name rebiana, will give them a lock on the "holy grail" of sweeteners: one that sweetens foods and beverages naturally, has no calories and tastes good.
Stevia isn't approved for use as a food additive in the U.S. Studies over the past two decades on its health effects have logged in a number of problems, from research in 1985 finding potential mutations in the livers of rats to concerns about fertility problems in men. Some countries banned stevia after the 1985 findings. In the early 1990s, the Food and Drug Administration concluded that there wasn't enough data available to demonstrate stevia's safety as a food additive, although it later allowed it to be sold as a dietary supplement.
Coke and Cargill dispute the 1985 study and have said their new product differs from the unrefined versions of stevia used in early tests. A more recent World Health Organization report found no major toxicity risks, but said more data are needed on the herb's effect on hypertension and blood-sugar levels, given some concerns that high doses of stevia compounds may lower blood pressure or blood-sugar levels in diabetics.
The studies being published Thursday explored those questions and others. The series of animal studies and human clinical trials found that consumption of the sweetener didn't affect blood-sugar control in Type 2 diabetics, and it had no major effect on blood pressure of healthy adults, among other questions. A study of rats explored the sweetener's effect on male and female reproductive systems.
The companies said last year that they would move to market the sweetener in 12 countries where it is approved as a food additive, including Japan, Brazil and China. But limited supply means it will take some time before it is widely available.