Coca-Cola Turns to Natural Stevia to Sweeten Up

Finally, a new day may be dawning for those of us looking for a natural, sugar-free option in our beverages, yogurt, cereal, ice cream and other sweet treats. I was thrilled when I read the headlines that Coca-Cola teamed up with Cargill, one of the world's largest agribusiness and trading companies, to market the sweetest, best tasting part of the stevia plant.

Steviais a hit among the health nut crowd. While I've tried to make it a staple in my kitchen, I've never aquired a taste for the herb's bitter, licorice aftertaste (see my recent post on the natural sweeteners I recommend). However, the Coca-Cola/Cargill people have spent huge amounts of money and time to process the steviaplant into a good tasting, zero-calorie, natural sweetener, which they are calling rebiana.

Of course, they have some major hurdles to cross before we'll find it in our grocery stores. First, the FDA has only approved steviaas a food supplement, not as an additive, basing its decision on a 1985 study linking steviato liver damage.

However, in addition to Coca-Cola and Cargill doing their homework to prove stevia's safety in preparation to change the FDA's mind and expand stevia'suse, it's been consumed for centuries in South America without any negative side effects. In Japan, where steviahas been consumed for more than 30 years, their government reviewed and also confirmed that steviais a safe, sweet alternative.

Furthermore, studies have found that the sweet herb has numerous health benefits including, regulating blood sugar levels, lowering elevated blood pressure, inhibiting oral bacteria, aiding in weight loss and improving digestions.

Countries like Japan, which already allow steviaas a food additive, will be the first to enjoy rebiana. Since Coca-Cola and Cargill are industry giants with the cash and clout to influence the FDA, I have high hopes that one day in the next several years, we'll find steviain the foods and beverages we love and it'll quickly replace the toxic sugar substitutes found in most sugar-free products. Now that's a sweet dream!

Sources:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118058140982419717-search.html?KEYWORDS=stevia&COLLECTION=wsjie/6month
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118065662915120794-search.html?KEYWORDS=stevia&COLLECTION=wsjie/6month
www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng.asp?id=77035-coca-cola-cargill-stevia-rebiana
http://healing.about.com/cs/uc_directory/a/uc_stevia_jones.htm
www.happystomach.com/stevia.htm
www.stevia.net/fda.htm