The Organic Consumers Association e-newsletter invites readers to freely share their articles on their blogs and web sites. Therefore, I am going to re-post their story (below) on the FDA's unfair bias against the use of the herb Stevia as a natural sweetener in food products. The article states:
"FDA CRACKS DOWN ON NATURAL HERBAL SWEETENER, STEVIA
The FDA, under pressure from the powerful sugar and artificial sweetener lobby, has issued a warning letter to Celestial Seasonings for using a popular natural sweetener in some of its teas. The letter indicates the FDA classifies the herb stevia as "unsafe", even though it is a main staple sweetener in countries like China and Japan and has been used without negative health effects by indigenous people for at least 400 years. In the FDA's letter to Celestial Seasonings, the agency aggressively condemns the use of the herb, noting that "enforcement action may include seizure of violative products". The FDA claims no evidence has been provided to the agency regarding the herb's safety, but federal records reveal the FDA has received over a thousand scientific studies regarding stevia, and all but one of them verify the safety of the herb. In sharp contrast, nearly half of the studies provided to the FDA regarding the artificial sweetener aspartame, previously owned by Monsanto, indicate serious health concerns, yet it is one of the most commonly used (and one of the most profitable) sweeteners in the U.S. The OCA has also verified the FDA has strengthened enforcement of stevia imports at the borders. Last week, the agency updated a document that mandates detainment of imported food products containing stevia.
Learn more: here.
That makes my blood boil. I have used Stevia many different times, and it's infuriating that Stevia is being targeted for suppression when the chemical poison manufacturers like Monsanto get away with murder by comparison. Clearly the FDA has compromised its ethics. I hope you will keep this issue on your radar and look for a way to hold the FDA accountable for protecting our health and to stop harassing people who want to bring healthful products like Stevia into the marketplace.
My next post will be a taste test report on a soda made with Stevia. Stay tuned!
I have survived cancer and the only product i was warned away from by the Dr. is artifical sweetners.
Posted by: ANGEL | September 25, 2007 at 12:32 PM