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Neither calories or cavities: this is the promise of stevia, sugar grass. Banned in Switzerland until mid-2008, stevia is now present in 18 products. Some have been introduced without warning and are already on the shelves.
The taste of stevia is pronounced twelve times sweeter than sugar, it has little calories, does not attack the teeth and is suitable for diabetics. Despite this, she was not allowed in Switzerland until last year. In the European Union (EU), it still is not.
The reason is the verdict of the EU Commission, which relies on two controversial studies. Laboratory rats subjected to high doses of stevia have developed cancer of the bladder presented with fertility problems. In Switzerland, too, all the doubts about the health effects are not excluded.
International Clearance
The Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) was authorized in 2008 a standardized extract of the stevia with a grade of 95% of steviol glycosides. As for the grass in its natural state, a mixture of tea for example, can contain only 2% maximum.
The Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the World Health had described the standardized extract of “safe”. Since steviol glycosides are not a permitted additive, FOPH issues permits and provisional spot.
In Switzerland, 18 products containing the extract of Stevia were allowed in mid-December, said FOPH on its website. These drinks, candy, chocolate, sweeteners and ketchup.
Although this
Based business has marketed an iced tea and sports drink. Migros sells more drinks sweetened with stevia, like Hermes, the company producing Assugrin, which will market the spring a sweetener made from Stevia.
This plant is interesting, says marketing director Michael Droz, because many people are wary of synthetic substances like saccharin and aspartame. Market developments show how to develop products based on Stevia.
Ricola has obtained three licenses for sweets containing stevia. But the company expects Basel before the launch, says she. There are several reasons for this, but they are not disclosed, said Ricola.
Diabetic Chocolate
The chocolate industry development, in addition to the virtual absence of calories on diabetes. A chocolate authorized by the BAG is also specially designed for this population group, category growing. It is not yet on the market, unlike other chocolate, black.
This trend does not please the association Pro Stevia Switzerland. Its chairman Kurt Steiner said that many substances in stevia are no longer present in the extract allowed. To be honest, you can not really speak of a sweetener “natural”. Moreover, production of the extract is in the hands of consortia. To those who want natural, Kurt Steiner advised to grow their own plants.
The sugar industry is closely watching the entry of stevia on the market, says director of refineries Aarberg (BE) and Frauenfeld Josef Arnold. Long, defenders of the stevia had suggested that the sugar industry prevented the development of stevia.
Josef Arnold into perspective: the sugar is routinely demonized. Substitutes have been around for decades, but they never succeeded in ousting the sugar.
It is clear that sugar is very established in the market and that its image is a bit outdated. To counter this trend, manufacturers are launching new products “convenience” as recently sugar solution.
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