EFSA has issued a positive opinion on the safety of steviol glycosides used as food additives following petitions lodged by the European Stevia Association (Eustas), Cargill and Japanese firm Morita, which are all seeking regulatory approval to sweeten products with stevia in Europe.

EFSA’s opinion is in line with that of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the US Food and Drug Administration, approving stevia extracts with at least 95% purity of steviol glycosides. It will now be passed on to the European Commission, with final EU-wide approval expected next year.

Eustas regulatory affairs boss Carl Horn said it was of “particular significance that EFSA is approving the whole family of steviol glycosides that give the stevia leaf its sweetening power. This will give the food and beverage manufacturers much more freedom when formulating than if they had to only use Rebaudioside A [one of the best-known steviol glycosides].”

Although France is the only EU member state to permit stevia-based sweeteners, with recent launches including Fanta Still from Coca-Cola, food and drink manufacturers elsewhere in the EU were already experimenting with them in a range of products so that they are ready to ‘push the button’ as soon as they gain EU approval.

source: foodnavigator.com