I am listening to a webinar announcement hosted by The Coca Cola Company and Cargill. They are publishing results from a number of peer-reviewed double blind studies that demonstrate the safety of rebiana the “best tasting” part of the stevia plant. It is extracted from the leaf by “steeping with fresh water just like tea”. Truvia is the “brand name” for rebiana. So rebiana is to Truvia as sucrolose is to…..??? Splenda. OK, now we get it. And can we now get the potential impact on the food and beverage industry? We’ve all lived through the yellow-ing of the sweetener world!
They whizzed by the results extremely fast so I will post a link to the presentation slides when I get it by e-mail. I did notice a couple of trends in the studies. The studies lasted 4 weeks to 16 weeks. They reported no adverse effects on dosages of 1000 mg per day, which is like 27 sweetener packets. Tolerated by Type II diabetics. Did not raise blood pressure.
The researchers said they will be presenting results at food toxicology conferences this summer and they will be sharing the information with the FDA as well. Since this is all so new, expect more information to continue to come out. I’d appreciate anyone who has additional information on stevia, rebiana, or truvia to post links in the comments area.
Stevia has been used in food and beverages in Japan since 1977, but it has not been available in the U.S. until now.
Cargill will launch a table top sweetener in the U.S. in 2008 (like Splenda 2.0) followed by widespread use in food and beverages - think cereals, yogurts, ice cream, sodas, teas, etc.) I suspect that it will start as a table top sweetener for a couple of reasons: it is not approved by the FDA as a food additive so it needs to be sold as a dietary supplement for now; and they need time to formulate the right “dosage” in the products to get the desired “effects” of sweetness, texture etc.
Coca cola has exclusive rights for its use in beverages. Cargill is formulating its use for food.
That’s all I have for now… so want my early opinion on it?
1. The main claim is “consumers have been asking for a natural, zero calorie sweetener and Truvia is the breakthrough” and the tagline is “starts from a leaf, not from a lab”. So maybe this provides an alternative for those avoiding artificial sweeteners. I know people who have migranes and children with ADHD who cut out artificial sweeteners. I’m not so sure if the close-to-nature folks out there… those who avoid artificial sweeteners or processed foods as a personal preference will flock to buy Truvia products… would you??? Let me know.
2. Based on what they presented, it doesn’t look like rebiana has been extensively studied with humans. If it has been used in Japanese foods and beverages since the 1970s, have there been any studies? Something to look into. Share links if you have them.
3. I’m all for consumer choice and empowerment. Hey, I am a consumer too! But I would be remiss if I didn’t bring up concerns over cultural health impact with respect to food choices and the food industry. Is this anything but another way to sell more products?
Take cereals for example. Kids like sugary cereals and they eat a lot of it. Most of the sugar is added to make it sweet. Concerned parents would rather have them eat less of it. So, they might buy “your favorite sugar cereal” sweetened with all-natural Truvia and feel better about it. The kids eat breakfast and do better at school and all is well with the world. Right? I’m not so sure. Because chances are that cereal is low in fiber, something kids don’t get enough of.
I ponder the question: what’s wrong with cheerios or the similar generic counterparts? Hear me out… The cheerios has a little fiber and is very low in added sugar compared to its counterparts. Adding 1/2 banana or 1/4 cup strawberries or blueberries add sweetness and more fiber. The milk also has some natural sugar. That should be enough sweetness for breakfast. No, I’m not trying to say that everyone should avoid foods with added sugars, splenda, truvia, or the plethora of artificial sweeteners at all times. But the real impact for change, the real power is in families looking inward at their own behaviors and making decisions that are better for them. Instead of focusing what you should cut out (sugar, artificial sweeteners) what about looking at what needs to be brought in? How much fruit did you get today? Did you skip breakfast? Can you add in healthy oatmeal with some fruit a few days a week in place of a bagel and cream cheese or no breakfast at all? If you focus on the healthy things that should come in, you will notice that they displace the junkier-type foods. Switching from diet coke with splenda to diet coke with truvia is not going to make a major health impact.
So, that’s where my brain is now on the subject. Please enlighten me with your thoughts!
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