Stevia, the leafy green sweetener for diabetics

EXCLUSIVE: Stevia, may be touted as a healthy herbal alternative sweetener to sugar for treatment of many ailments but as per law it cannot be used or sold as additive in food products. 

In fact, those selling it in any form that is meant for consumption are violating the law, said VN Gaur, chairperson of the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). There have been many complaints that some unapproved food items, ingredients, food additives etc. are being used in preparation of food products or being sold as such. 


“We want to tell one and all that Stevia as artificial sweetener is not permitted under PFA Rules, 1955 which is now replaced with the FSSAI Act. There is no mention of herbal sweeteners in the Act.” 

Gaur told INNLIVE that the authority could not allow its usage in food as there has been no trials which have been conducted to prove its efficacy. 

“However, we are in the process of preparing standards for the Stevia but again that would be only after intensive discussion with our experts.” 

Intriguingly, even though the herbal product is not legally allowed to be used as an artificial sweetener, it is being widely sold in the market by various companies in various forms claiming treatment of ailments like diabetes, high blood pressure, gingivitis, digestion ailments besides weight loss. 

Botanically known as Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (Family- Asteraceae), Stevia is a sweet herb with mid green and intensely sweet leaves. The compounds in the leaves are called stevioside and rebaudioside and they can be more than 200 times sweeter than sugar. 

Japan is the biggest market of stevia. In India, it is being cultivated in States such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. 

Besides, stevia, the FSSAI has also prohibited Sucralose in sugar which is being marketed as low calorie sugar, it is not permitted as per existing Food Laws, said a senior official from the Food Authority. 

He said that some products are being sold by using an adjective or suffix with the name of the product without adhering to the standards. For instance, under rules, the word ‘butter’ will not be associated while labelling the product i. e. fat spread. “Therefore, those using the word ‘butter’ with or without prefix or suffix or an adjective cannot be used to identify or describe a product which is actually not “butter” and does not meet the standards. 

“We have asked all the states to take legal action against those indulging in such unwanted practice,” the officer said.