Lorraine rose quietly and spake the following:

>> Several countries don't yet allow the use of that new fake sweetener for that reason.
>
> Stevia is a plant - maybe we have different definitions for "fake."
> Sorry about that. However, it is anything but "new."

Having done a little research on the issue...

In fact, Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (which is a native plant of Paraguay)
has been used in many countries for many years as a sweetener. It is used
in South America, as well as Japan, China, Germany, Malaysia, Israel and
South Korea. For hundreds of years, it was available only to those who had
access to its remote growing locations. But around the turn of the last
century, it became a cultivated crop.

The FDA labeled stevia as an "unsafe food additive" in the 1980s, but has
recently approved the importation of stevia into the United States. After
years of treating it as a controlled substance, they're letting it be
marketed as a "dietary supplement."

However, it cannot be marketed as a sweetener or even be described as
"sweet" on the package. To do so, according to the FDA, would render the
product "adulterated" and thus subject to seizure. This is in spite of the
fact that many studies indicate it's safe. Apparently, the FDA has been
playing loose with the research data - attributing findings to one form of
processed Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni that actually apply to a different
form.

Lipton tea has apparently/supposedly submitted a petition to the FDA to get
stevia listed as a sweetener.

The real reason we don't see more stevia in the U.S. is that it is a low
calorie, all natural sweetener - and the unfortunate reality is that big
businesses (artificial sweetener manufacturers) have lots of money to spend
lobbying in Washington, DC.

They'd rather give us cancer, migraines, and aching teeth (personal
experience) than to give us a low calorie natural sweetner.

I haven't tried stevia yet, but after reading a bit about it, I"m going to
have to give it a go.

--
Derek

There comes a time when every team must learn to make individual
sacrifices.

This epigram brought to you by the letter "R" and the number "3".