Soda Made With Stevia!!!!

Thought I would share!!! These sodas are made with all natural ingredients and sweetened w/ Stevia. All three have 0 cals. It comes in Twist, Orange, and Cola!!!! Here is the website!!

Thanks! My mom likes using Stevia as a sweetner, so I'll let her know about this.

I thought the FDA was refusing to approve Stevia as a food additive, as stated in this

Import Alert

 With regard to its use in foods, stevia is not an
       &nb sp;             approved food additive nor affirmed as GRAS in the
       &nb sp;             United States.  Available toxicological information on
       &nb sp;             stevia is inadequate to demonstrate its safety as a
       &nb sp;             food additive or to affirm its status as GRAS.
       &nb sp;             However, with  regard to its use in dietary
       &nb sp;             supplements, dietary ingredients, including stevia,
       &nb sp;             are not subject to food additive regulations.

I'm wondering how that company got around this, or if the situation has changed since 2007.

I've always been of the opinion that the United States stevia ban was influenced by the corporations making other sweeteners.  I did read somewhere (I'll try to find it) that stevia was the original sweetener in diet coke.  It's used in many other countries.

I bought a stevia plant at the Amish farmer's market last spring, so you can get plants and seeds.

I use Stevia...........thought it was a 'natural' sweetner.  Guess you just can't trust any sweetners.

Stevia is a lot safer than any other artificial sweetener.  It can be sold as a "supplement" but not used to manufacture food.  However in my reading about this today, I see that Coke is trying to fast track it for FDA approval.  It's used in Diet Coke all over the world, except for the US.

Here's the article with the reference to Diet Coke.  But I see that I misread it.  It was first used in Coke in Japan, not the US.

http://www.holisticmed.com/sweet/stv-faq.txt
Noncaloric sweeteners are a big business in the U.S., as are caloric
sweeteners like sugar and the sugar-alcohols, sorbital, mannitol and
xylitol.  It is small wonder that the powerful sweetener interests
here, do not want the natural, inexpensive, and non-patentable stevia
approved in the U.S.

In the 1970s, the Japanese government approved the plant, and food
manufacturers began using stevia extracts to sweeten everything from
sweet soy sauce and pickles to diet Coke.  Researchers found the
extract interesting, resulting in dozens of well-designed studies of
its safety, chemistry and stability for use in different food products.
Various writers have praised the taste of the extracts, which has much
less of the bitter aftertaste prevalent in most noncaloric sweeteners.
In addition to Japan, other governments have approved stevia and
stevioside, including those of Brazil, China and South Korea, among
others. 

Original Post by clairelaine:

... I'm wondering how that company got around this, or if the situation has changed since 2007.

To sidestep FDA’s obvious prohibition of selling foods sweetened with Stevia, Zevia says its:
(1) not soda but a dietary supplement 
(2) not intended to replace liquids in the diet.   

Yet it also:
(1) promotes itself as the “…only all natural sugar free alternative to diet soda.”
(2) spends much time on their site comparing the two. 

Government definition requires that a dietary supplement “is not represented for use as a conventional food”, which Zevia is clearly is doing despite the ‘stevia supplement’ statement on the can.  They may find themselves under fire from the FDA or FTC.   

The whole "supplement" thing is so stupid.  Stevia is a natural plant and it's edible.  People have been using it for a very long time in other countries.  There's no reason it couldn't be used in foods here in the US. 

I liked my little stevia plant last summer.  I'd pick a few leaves and put them into the tea strainer with my tea leaves to make sweetened tea.  It was delicious.  I was able to dry some too, but it was only one plant.  The plant cost me $2 and grew all summer long.  Compare that with what Splenda costs.

You can find stevia in health food stores as dietary supplements.

I was at a mexican food restaurant and I saw packets of stevia on the table and was quite impressed (along side the equal, sweet&low, and splenda packets). Now I don't know if you're allowed to do such things, but I can't imagine why not.

If you read "energy drink" cans, they have supplement facts, opposed to nutrition facts. I'm pretty sure these sodas as stated in the original post are labeled the same way. There's always a way around the FDA. I say good for them! More things need to use stevia.

The FDA requires all new ingredients to be proven safe before theyre incorporated into the US food supply.  Stevia will remain a supplement until the FDA is provided with conclusive findings that its GRAS (generally regarded as safe). 

That its been used by other cultures isnt grounds with them because theres not documented testing involved and wont go on the assumption that its safe because a connection has not been made made between it and health dangers.  Prior US research has indicated links between it and liver functioning.  Since then, contradicting research results have occured.  

Its not just the US - the majority of countires in  Europe ban Stevia as a food ingredient based on their own research that its not been proven safe. Perhaps Coca Cola has the funding and will come up with results that arent contradicting. 

With the opinions behind it, I wonder were it determined conclusively that long term was linked to liver damage would this be a deterent because people are very gung ho about it.  No offense to them but the internet is swarming with it.  Personally, Im fine with other sweetners until the jury is in.

Actually, the FDA finally reversed its ban on Stevia in December 2008 (not sure exactly when).

 

http://www.foodqualitynews.com/Innovation/Ste via-sweetener-gets-US-FDA-go-ahead

This is wonderful news for me and many other people who are sick and tired of high fructose corn syrup and regular, refined white sugar, but who despise the taste of artificial sweeteners.

The FDA is a scam, and is in the back pocket of large corporations.  Just research the history of how Monsanto got Aspartame approved and you'll see what I mean.  There are proven links between artificial sweeteners and many illnesses and the FDA has done nothing about it and never will.  Stevia is consumed by millions and millions of people all over the world every day.  It's pure arrogance to think that a country like Japan would approve something like this because they aren't as advanced or smart as we are. 

When buying Stevia though, make sure you buy Pure Stevia Extract, not the stuff in packets or anything with added ingredients.   The added ingredients are the same as in any other food, unnecessary fillers, used to dilute the main ingredient and alter the taste.   Get the pure stuff.

I have been using a new product called Stevia Extract in the Raw and I love it.  It is just like some of the new products Truvia and Purevia but does not contain the sugar alcohols that those products have.  You can find it an major grocery stores. Check it out at www.steviaextractintheraw.com

 

Original Post by issaquahcrafter:

Actually, the FDA finally reversed its ban on Stevia in December 2008 (not sure exactly when)

 Heh, it's amazing what will happen when mega-corporations start lobbying ;) I don't understand why some people are against splenda but are ok with stevia. It doesn't make any sense.

I tried Zevia when it was on sale & it's ok. Definitely not like "regular" or "diet" soda. 

As Suz mentioned, the stevia products out now aren't bitter like they used to be, but I can still tell the difference between Stevia & Splenda (like I can taste the difference between Sacharinne and Splenda).

Stevia is way more expensive than like... anything else... I can't imagine using my food budget to make something sweet.

Original Post by johnnypenso:

The FDA is a scam, and is in the back pocket of large corporations.  Just research the history of how Monsanto got Aspartame approved and you'll see what I mean.  There are proven links between artificial sweeteners and many illnesses and the FDA has done nothing about it and never will.  Stevia is consumed by millions and millions of people all over the world every day.  It's pure arrogance to think that a country like Japan would approve something like this because they aren't as advanced or smart as we are. 

Exactly my opinion! How in the world is aspartame even approved still?! I read somewhere that artificial sweetener related complaints make up for like 1/3 or 1/4th that the FDA get and yet they do nothing about it.

Pepsi Co already has a stevia based drink out through Sobe Lifewater:

http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/pepsico/36055/