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Various
scientific commissions have determined that Stevia’s potential
for toxicity renders it an inappropriate sweetener in humans: |
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|
In
2007, Stevia glycosides were been shown to exhibit genotoxicity
(Nunes AP, Ferreira-Machado SC, Nunes RM, Dantas FJ, De
Mattos JC, Caldeira-de-Araújo A (2007). "Analysis of
genotoxic potentiality of stevioside by comet assay".
Food Chem. Toxicol. 45 (4): 662–6). |
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The
National Academy of Sciences has determined that
“Metabolically Activated Steviol, the Aglycone of Stevioside,
is Mutagenic.” |
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The
European Commission, Directorate-General XXIV Consumer
Policy and Consumer Health Protection, Scientific Committee
on Food, Opinion on Stevioside as a Sweetener, concluded
that: |
| |
“The
review on the safety of stevioside was updated by the Committee
in 1989 (2) and 1999. In both these opinions, several questions
of concern were raised by the Committee regarding the purity
of the extracts that had been tested, the metabolism of stevioside,
mutagenicity of metabolites, questionable chronic toxicity
and carcinogenicity studies, and finally fertility and teratogenicity
studies not performed according to Good Laboratory Practice.
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| |
In conclusion,
the Committee could not accept its use based on the submitted
documentation and stevioside extracts from Stevia rebaudiana
leaves were considered as toxicologically not acceptable.” |
Beverages
that contain STEVIA AND/OR STEVIOL GLYCOSIDES do not qualify
for the “Certified Natural Beverage” mark. |
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