EU approves stevia sweetener use

The European Commission has formally approved stevia sweeteners for use within the European Union for the first time. After months of examining the safety of natural sweeteners derived from the stevia plant, on Nov. 11 stevia was approved for use in the EU’s 27 member states.

The EU established an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for steviol glycosides, expressed as steviol equivalents, of 4 mg/kg bodyweight/day. It was approved for use in 31 different food categories. The Commission Regulation did note that given that the main contributors to the total anticipated exposure to steviol glycosides will be soft drinks, it is likely that the ADI will be exceeded. The EU understands the need for energy-reduced products in the marketplace, but suggests a reduction in the use level for soft drinks given the population’s consumption of sodas.

EU Commission Regulation for stevia (pdf)