EU Commission Approves Steviol Glycoside to be used as a Sweetener in Food Ingredient

EU Commission Approves Steviol Glycosides to be used as a sweetener in food ingredient by adopting the regulation on 11^th November. Commission Regulation (EU) No 1131/2011 of 11 November 2011 will replace Annex II to Regulation 1333/2008 in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation which enters into force on 2 December 2011, the regulation permitting the sale and use of the sweetener are published in the Official Journal of the EU.

This is not only a good news for the   people in Europe but in a way will give immense opportunity to Indian Farmers and Processing industry in India to fully exploit its potential to grow stevia and process it to serve big European Market which will be in huge demand of stevia leaves as a raw material and processed stevia in the form of steviol glycoside for its food and beverage industry.

Stevia Biotech Pvt. Ltd a company established in India, in the year 2004 with a vision to be one of a leading cultivation and stevia processing company is now getting its due. SBPL which have ventured with biggest cultivator and processor in Paraguay, South America has been working over the past couple of years in developing high quality stevia planting material and have conducted environmental tests in different region in India for acceptability to Indian conditions.

SBPL has gone for long term supply agreements with many stevia processing companies and  also food and beverage brand owners in Europe and Gulf countries and US, those keen to buy Stevia for processing and for using stevia in making their low calorie and healthy food and beverage products.

SBPL and its associates has been working on developing different formulations and blends which are needed to satisfy the peculiar sweetness demands of consumers spread all over the world.

Now as EU companies are lining up to rollout many food and drink products using stevia ingredients and hit the marke in Europe from the very first month of 2012, the demand of stevia is bond to increase.

But here in India even after complete approval by JECFA,  given by WHO, US FDA, Codex, EFSA and now EU, our Food Standard & Safety Authority is still going very slow in giving Complete Approval to Stevia to be used in food ingredient as a natural sweetener.

I really fail to understand FSSAI policy, working and efficiency in respect to approval of stevia,  

 “WHAT EXACTLY IS STOPPING THEM TO DO THE NEED FULL ?” is a big question.

I expect that FSSAI will understand the requirement and urgency of early use of Stevia natural sweetener for Indian population suffering with Diabetes and Obesity, and soon give complete permission with guidelines to use stevia as a sweetener by food and beverage Industry in India.

Complete Approval of stevia in India will also boost the morale of Indian farmers to grow Stevia as a cash crop and improve their living conditions and give way to food and beverages companies to offer more low calorie and healthier products.

Sourabh Agarwal

CMD, Stevia Biotech Pvt. Ltd

Chief Executive, India Stevia Association

New Delhi, India

Handy: 0091 9811988880

indiasteviaassociation@gmail.com
www.indiasteviaassociation.in
www.steviaglobalforum.com

Stevia is approved to be used in food by FSSAI scientific panel for food additives

Stevia is approved to be used in food by FSSAI scientific panel for food additives

India Stevia Association will like to announce and congratulate all its members and every one concern with Stevia in India on approval marked by scientific panel for food additives at the apex Food Safety and Standards Authority considering the long awaiting applications for approval of stevia in India filed by companies like Stevia Biotech Pvt. Ltd, Coca Cola and Cargill.

FSSAI approve Stevia Biotech Pvt. Ltd, Coca Cola and Cargill application for use of stevia in soft drink concentrates, chewing gums, carbonated water and other applied products.

Stevia Biotech Pvt. Ltd. received letter from FSSAI the regulatory body which makes rules for food safety with the approval and recommendation made by scientific panel, which has recommended certain guideline, allowing stevia, a natural sweetener for use in selected products with ADI limits.

The FSSAI scientific panel for example has recommended up to 200 milligrams per kg of steviol equivalent, which is an active component in stevia, in carbonated water and soft drink concentrates. In chewing gums up to 3,500 milligrams per kg of steviol equivalent.

“India Stevia Associatoion” welcome the recommendation made by the Scientific Panel and is thankful for considering the facts and out comes of last Codex Meeting and world wide researches and recommendations by world known health regulatory organizations like JACFA, WHO, US FDA, European Food Safety Authority .

This will definitely prove to be boon to Indian population which is suffering from diabetes and obesity and desperately need more and more Natural Low Calorie products and live a healthier life. 

Though certain recommendations by FSSAI's scientific panel for food additives does not explicitly state whether stevia can be used in combination.

Stevia this year has been approved by CODEX Alimentarius, an international body created by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization in its meeting in July, in Geneva, for usage across different product forms.

All sincere efforts made by India Stevia Association, its members and industry at large finely get paid, very honestly considered by FSSAI scientific panel and hence this outcome.

India Stevia Association has always brought Stevia more closer to farmers, food and beverages companies, health conscious people and diabetic population by organizing its 2nd Stevia Global Summit 2011 India at Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in March this year in which the emphasize were given for use of stevia in food and beverages products and to bring more awareness and knowledge development.

India Stevia Association would also like to thank all who attended this conference which prove to be a milestone by way of this approval which was addressed by very learned speakers

Dr. AS BAWA, Defense Research and Development Organization, Ministry of Defense (also head of scientific panel of food additive, constituted by FSSAI),

Mr. Bala Prasad, Chief Executive Officer, National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India,

Mr. Sourabh Agarwal. CMD, Stevia Biotech Pvt. Ltd & CEO India Stevia Asso.

Dr. Prof. Dr. Jan Geuns, president of EUSTAS, and head of Laboratory of Functional Biology, Leuven University, Belgium,

Prof. Dr. S.S Agarwal Professor of Pharmacology & Principal, Delhi Institute of pharmaceutical Science and Research, “DIPSAR’,

Mr. G N Quazi, from Hamdard University,

Mr. Matthew Nelson of Mintel International, USA,

Mr. Sanjay Naphade of Pepsico India Holdings,

Dr. V. Dhawan, ED The Energy and Resources Institute,

Delegates from different states of India and other delegates which come from various countries around the world and by a collective effort these results are obtained.

Mr. Sourabh Agarwal, Chief of India Stevia Association covey his sincere thanks and gratitude to all concern and consider this development will revolutionize Indian, sweetener, food and health industry and bring tremendous opportunities for Indian farmers to cultivate more and more stevia in India.

India Stevia Association has schedule to organize a conference in early December, 2011 in New Delhi in which all new regulatory aspects will be discussed and further course of action to promote and spread stevia cultivation and usage in food product will be discussed, participation is welcomed.  www.steviaglobalforum.com 

India Stevia Association invites farmers, manufacturers, food processors and food ingredient development companies to become member and get benefited  to run a knowledge base enterprise. Associate Membership is free of Charge.  www.indiasteviaassociation.in

India Stevia Association mission is to provide a distinctive platform for trade promotion, marketing, and sourcing of stevia products and to promote commercial farming of stevia all over the world and to develop India a Global Stevia Hub and create a platform for R&D, innovation, new product development (NPD), marketing, food safety and Quality assurance and also to join hands together to discuss, innovate, knowledge share and shape the future of Stevia Industry in India into the new decade.

FSSAI approve stevia ( steviol equivalent ) for use in selected products

FSSAI approve stevia ( steviol ) for use in selected products


FSSAI approve Stevia Biotech Pvt. Ltd, Coca Cola and Cargill application for use of stevia in soft drink concentrates, chewing gums, carbonated water and other applied products.


“It is an very interesting development, at last all our sincere efforts since 2005 get paid and finely, FSSAI, Food Safety Regulatory Body has communicated to us allowing stevia, natural alternative for soft drink concentrates, chewing gums and other products as we seek for approval in our application” said CMD of Stevia Biotech Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, who also heads ‘India Stevia Association’.


A scientific panel for food additives at the apex Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the regulatory body which makes rules for food safety, has also recommended certain guideline, allowing stevia, a natural sweetener for use in selected products with ADI limits.


The FSSAI scientific panel has recommended up to 200 milligrams per kg of steviol equivalent, which is an active component in stevia, in carbonated water and soft drink concentrates. In chewing gums up to 3,500 milligrams per kg of steviol equivalent.


The additive this year was approved by CODEX Alimentarius, an international body created by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation, for usage across different product forms.


Stevia Biotech Pvt. Ltd. based in New Delhi, applied to then PFA ( food regulators ) as early as in year 2005 for approval, is now going for large scale cultivation on contractual bases and will be putting a processing unit of Stevia in India.


Certain recommendations by FSSAI's scientific panel for food additives do not explicitly state whether stevia can be used in combination with another additive.


'If stevia is allowed to be used in combination with low-intense sweeteners, it could go a long way in helping manufacturers replace high-intense, synthesied sweeteners, which are said to have adverse effects in case of high usage' .. say Mr. Sourabh Agarwal


Globally, Stevia is fully approved as a food additive in a number of countries, including the US, China, Japan, Mexico, France, Paraguay, Korea, Brazil, Israel, Malaysia and Taiwan. In Japan it accounts for over 40 per cent of the sweetener market there. The European Union is on track to clear stevia for use by the end of this year.


India Stevia Association is schedule to organize 'Stevia Global Conference' in Oct. 2011

FSSAI Notification regarding Stevia

Dear Members and friends,

It is quite unfortunate that Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a notice no. : P.15025/133/2011-PFA/FSSAI dated 26-7-11, banning Stevia in India. By way of this notice FSSAI has BANNED Stevia to be sold in India as food additive and even standalone. This notice is quite surprising to stevia community in India and seems that FSSAI is not aware of what Stevia is. In its notice FSSAI have also mentioned Stevia as Artificial Sweetener which is also not true.

Ironically, every citizen of India will be surprised to know that many Indian Govt. organizations are working on Stevia for more then a decade and claim to have achieved breakthrough achievement in Stevia Cultivation techniques.

A government organization under same Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is providing Subsidy to Farmers from many years to grow more and more Stevia (Proclaim as banned product by FSSAI ) in India.

At the same time, ' Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology '  ( IHBT ),  a constituent  laboratory  of CSIR ( Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) set up by Central Government of India, also claimed to have developed a stevia processing technology and obtained its patent spending lots of valuable time and Government money for a product which is now banned by FSSAI, by way of this notice.

Today more then 40 private labels of Stevia products are openly selling in the market, all over India.

Paradoxically local PFA offices in many states are issuing manufacturing licenses to companies to manufacture stevia consumer products.

Everybody very well know that Stevia is a Natural Sweetener which has ZERO CALORIE properties and is far better then the permissible and available artificial sweeteners in the market. It seems due to some vested interests and lack of proper knowledge there is redundant opposition and reluctance to approve this wonderful sweetener which is now the first choice of calorie conscious and people suffering from diabetes all around the world.

On one hand FSSAI is approving usage of artificial sweeteners like Acesulfame potassium (also called Acesulfame K )  and Aspartame which are chemicals and only chemicals and are still under research for their safe use and on the other side Stevia which is now approved by US FDA, European Food Safety Administration ( EFSA) and with Japan using it from last 2 decades without showing any ill effect, is abruptly banned in India, without giving any valid reason.

Today Govt. of India is not giving importance to Stevia. There is no point why Indians shall not get benefited by this wonderful zero calorie natural sweetener. There is so much of potential in stevia cultivation that it may generate employment and substantially uplift the economic condition of Indian farmers, as stevia is very lucrative cash crop.

To create awareness on benefits of Stevia, ‘India Stevia Association’ jointly with ‘Stevia Global Forum’ organized the very first ‘Stevia Global Conference 2010’ at FICCI New Delhi on 13 July 2010.

Later IHBT Palampur has also conducted a symposium on stevia, which was addressed by stevia experts and well attended by different stakeholders in stevia.

Subsequently India Stevia Association organized 2^nd global conference on Stevia at FICCI New Delhi on 27 March 2011, the medical fraternity, stevia experts from Europe and America, representatives of large food and beverages companies and farmers from different states of India were present; details could be found on www.steviaglobalforum.com , we have also scheduled a conference in October 2011, next month, which  will be attended by the stake holders in Stevia business, around the world.

‘Stevia is not a threat to Sugar and Sugarcane Farmers’, I can say this very confidently that Stevia Natural Sweetener can never prove to be a competitor of Sugar, it will rather compliment it and support it in situation of deficit production of sugar and save valuable foreign exchange in importation of sugar.

We at India Stevia Association ( ISA ) with strong 124 members group of farmers, food and beverages, confectionery and health product manufacturers and processors will like to take this issue further with FSSAI and related government departments, so that Stevia Natural Sweetener  is permitted as food additive in India, earliest possible, which will lead to large scale cultivation in India. Visit www.indiasteviaassociation.in

I call upon farmers, growers, budding stevia products manufacturers, organization researching on stevia and every one concern with low calorie and healthier products to come together and put matter before the Scientific Panel of Food Ingredients appointed by FSSAI with the load of researches done by Indian and international organization.

I also call upon doctors, dieticians, food researchers and natural food product lovers to come forward and recommend usage of Stevia to live a healthier life and request FSSAI to go through the outcome of latest Codex Meeting held in Geneva, before mentioning Stevia as an “Artificial Sweetener”.

Hope FSSAI will consider the outcomes of world wide researches and recommendations and approval by world known health regulatory organizations like JACFA, WHO, US FDA, Codex and European Food Safety Authority and approve stevia as food ingredient without any delay and allow Indian population which is suffering from diabetes and obesity to get more and more Natural Low Calorie products and live a healthier life. 

India Stevia Association have all relevant documents which are duly recognized by JACFA, WHO, US FDA, Codex and European Food Safety Authority for approving stevia as safe natural sweetener, to be used in food products and ready to discuss in length upon it.

FSSAI shall earliest come out with clear mandate of approving Stevia Natural Sweetener as food additive, which will give way to thousands of zero calorie health products.

Dear members and friends, we have to take things further with all concern Govt. departments so that no unjust shall happen with Stevia in India.

Looking forward the support and blessings of all health and calorie conscious people, around the world.

Regards,

Sourabh Agarwal

Chief Executive

India Stevia Association ( ISA )

New Delhi, India

Handy: 0 9811988880

indiasteviaassociation@gmail.com

www.indiasteviaassociation.in
www.steviaglobalforum.com