Cargill study supports stevia sweetener

NEW YORK, May 16 (UPI) -- Cargill and The Coca-Cola Co. said new research establishes the safety of rebiana, a sweetener from the stevia plant.

The two companies developed rebiana for general use to sweeten foods and beverages, the companies said Thursday in a release. It will be marketed by Cargill under the brand name Truvia.

The results of the Cargill-funded studies, published online in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, could move the companies closer toward gaining U.S. approval for their sweetener, the Wall Street Journal said Thursday.

Coca-Cola and Cargill said the new studies dispute research from 1985 that suggested health risks ranging from mutations in the livers of rats to concerns about male fertility problems, the newspaper said. A World Health Organization report has found no major toxicity risks.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled in the 1990s there wasn't enough data to demonstrate stevia's safety as a food additive, although the FDA does allow the herb to be sold as a dietary supplement.

The sweetener is currently approved as a food additive in 12 countries, including Japan, Brazil and China.