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14 April 2010 - Today, the European Food Safety Agency published a scientific opinion on the safety of steviol glycosides as sweeteners in food. The agency concluded that steviol glycosides are not carcinogenic, genotoxic or associated with any reproductive/developmental toxicity.

The favourable opinion issued by EFSA could result in an EU-wide approval of stevia within the next 6 to 9 months and could lead to a further intensification of product development by European Food and Beverage manufacturers.

EFSA’s positive scientific opinion on steviol glycoside is also in line with that of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Commitee on Food Additives (JECFA) as well as with a recent non-objection letter from the FDA in the US, in that it is approving stevia extracts with no less than 95% purity of steviol glycosides.

Commenting on the approval, Carl Horn, CEO of Granular, the Swedish manufacturer of Real SteviaTM extract, said: “This will give the food and beverage manufacturers much more freedom when formulating than if they had to only use Rebaudioside A. They will have access to a broader selection of stevia taste profiles, at a lower cost. The manufacturers' task of marketing stevia-sweetened products as "naturally sweetened" will also be made easier since they can use extracts which more closely reflect the natural composition of the stevia plant”.

Horn is also the Head of Regulatory Affairs at the European Stevia Association, EUSTAS. In this capacity, he has been coordinating the applications filed with EFSA, and he is delighted to see the efforts of the applicants, including EUSTAS, bear fruit.

“This is a great victory for consumers, who will soon be offered a natural option when choosing zero or low calorie products”, he said.