Canada approves stevia for use in foods and beverages
By Food in Canada magazine staff
Business Operations Food Trends Regulation Research & Development Health CanadaHealth Canada has approved stevia for use in foods and beverages, a move that extends its use beyond just the natural health products category
Ottawa – Food and beverage processors and suppliers welcomed the news on Nov. 30 that Health Canada had approved the use of stevia in food and beverages.
Prior to this announcement, stevia was available for use only within natural health product applications.
Health Canada says that as a result of a consultation process, it modified its List of Permitted Sweeteners.
FoodIngredientsFirst.com reports that in total, there were 27 comments from food industry association and even one patient group, all citing support of Health Canada’s proposal to enable the use of stevia as a table-top sweetener and as a sweetener in certain food categories.
Stevia is natural zero-calorie sweetener that has a zero glycemic index and can be used by diabetics.
The approval, says FoodIngredientsFirst.com, means Canadian consumers will be able to enjoy a similar range of stevia-sweetened products to those already available in the U.S. and the E.U.
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