At last, Stevia has been approved by a European country – France.
Stevia has been used as a calorie-free sweetener in the Far East for centuries. However, the EU authorities in their wisdom decided to ban it. It is even awkward to get hold of in the USA – it is sold as a ‘food supplement’ rather than a sweetener.
Stevia is herbal and it is many times sweeter than sugar. I have 4-5 drops on porridge myself sometimes and that is equivalent to, probably, a couple of spoons of sugar. It is ridiculous that stevia is not currently permitted. It is much safer than apartame – which is permitted.
The sweeteners market is dominated by aspartame and sucralose. Neither are natural, and aspartame has many clouds hanging over its head concerning its negative effects on health.
Stevia has no such health concerns associated with it that I have heard.
While full EU approval for stevia is still dependent on a scientific opinion from the European Food Safety Authority), France has taken advantage of window that allows individual member states to approve ingredients for a limited two year period.
I buy it when I am in the States. You can buy it and get it sent over if you wish. I recommend SweetLeaf brand, the ‘Clear’ type.
