Stevia sweetener approved for use in foods and beverages in Canada
steviol glycosides
On November 30th 2012 the long awaited notice by Health Canada confirmed the list of permitted sweeteners, enabling the use of steviol glycosides in a variety of food and beverage categories including breakfast cereals, bakery products, desserts, fruit and nut spreads and confectionery. Steviol glycosides are a purified extract from the leaves of stevia, a native herb of South America used for centuries to sweeten foods. Steviol glycosides such as stevioside and rebaudioside A are 200-300 times sweeter than sugar, and will play a role in new product development that meets the consumers’ desire for lower calorie foods and beverages with natural ingredients. The full list of permitted sweetener s may be found on Health Canada’s website at Notice of Modification to the List of Permitted Sweeteners.