A New Name for Stevia

In another episode on how the food industry blurs the line between natural and unnatural ingredients, I bring you a little story on stevia, the flower of which is pictured here. Stevia has long been used as a sugar substitute easily obtained from health food stores in Canada and I'll admit I've sweetened many a cup of tea with the saccharine nectar. This product is not without controversy however. The EU is unsatisfied with the safety of stevia consumption to the point of a ban, citing possible mutogenic effects targeting male fertility health. On the other side of the coin it's easy to find claims for stevia's blood sugar levelling effects. The Coca-Cola Co and PepsiCo have discovered its usefulness in sweetening their low calorie beverages, calling the ingredient "Reb-A", according to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune. It's interesting to see quotes in this article by industry spokespeople regarding the undesireable flavour profile of stevia and it goes on to describe how they combine derivatives of stevia (my first problem) with other natural flavours which act as salt and pepper to adjust the taste. My point is this: stevia is fine how nature made it, and the urge to make it better (as in tasteless) and to use it to sweeten juice of all things is a waste of science.