EU Commission Approves Steviol Glycosides to be used as a sweetener in food ingredient by adopting the regulation on 11th 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
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