Here is a website that explains the FDA comment. Obviously the sugar
money does not want competition. It can be sold as a "dietary
supplement" but not as a sweetener.
http://www.stevia.net/
Gene
At 05:52 AM 2/5/2008, you wrote:
I've seen Stevia products on the shelves as a sweetener, so maybe
the FDA doesn't have to "approve" ...everything??
They DIDN'T "approve it" because they have found no reason to even
think about it.
Now it's worthy OF approval, BECAUSE it wasn't even considered one
way or the other?
Great logic.
It's a food and foods don't get regulated unless there is a good
reason to believe it's harmful.
It's also a natural extract when processed, like Monosodium
Glutamate, accurately labeled as a natural flavoring.
You may believe that MSG is harmful, but..it's also unavoidable.
The question is, how much?
Food packagers can't claim a product to be "MSG free" because almost
NO food has no MSG in it, be it a processed food or completely organic.
They can only claim that no MSG has been added.
(For the record, any monosodium glutamate, or MSG, used ["added"] to
flavor food must be declared on the label as such)
This, due to public concern and common reactions to too much MSG.
The definition of natural flavorunder the Code of Federal
Regulations is: the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive,
protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating
or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived
from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice,
edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material,
meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation
products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring
rather than nutritional(21CFR101.22)
So, you see..Stevia HAS been "approved"
By the same logic, STOP USING it!
..it must be bad.
Ode
At 06:14 PM 2/4/2008 -0600, you wrote:
Have you tried stevia? This is natural and the FDA refuses to
approve it as a sweetener. For me that is a good recommendation.
If you have a dog, xylitol is toxic, so be careful.
Gene
