stevia to be approved and cyclamates limited by Food Standards Australia New Zealand: JMC Geuns critiques of two recent stevia studies by Nunes: Murray 2007.05.29

stevia to be approved and cyclamates limited by Food Standards
Australia New Zealand: JMC Geuns critiques of two recent stevia
studies by Nunes: Murray 2007.05.29
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNMmessage/1437

http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/news...mullsc3567.cfm

FSANZ mulls changes to food laws

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) today invited comment
on proposed changes to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code
-
regulations that apply to all food sold in Australia and New Zealand.

Among the changes being contemplated are the deletion of two
antibiotics from the Code,
the use of steviol glycosides and cyclamates as sugar substitutes,
a genetically modified corn variety and a food additive for wine.

FSANZ is inviting comment from the general public, the food industry,
health professionals and government agencies on the proposed changes
to the Code.
FSANZ summarises all submissions in a final report and explains what
action, if any, it has taken in response to issues raised in
submissions.

Steviol glycosides as intense sweeteners (Application A540 - Draft
Assessment)

The Plant Sciences Group of Central Queensland University and
Australian Stevia Mills Pty Ltd have applied for the Code to be
amended to allow the use of steviol glycosides as an intense sweetener
for a wide variety of foods.
Steviol glycosides extracted from the herbStevia rebaudianaare 250-300
times sweeter than sucrose.
We have estimated the dietary exposure of consumers at the maximum
levels proposed by the applicant and have concluded that there are no
public health and safety concerns.
Comment is invited.

Review of cyclamate permissions (Proposal P287 - Draft Assessment)

A FSANZ-commissioned survey in 2004 on the consumption of intense
sweeteners in Australia and New Zealand concluded that the estimated
dietary exposure of some consumers of cyclamate products for retail
sale exceeded the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for cyclamate.
The major contributors to estimated dietary cylcamate exposures were
water-based flavoured drinks (eg. soft drinks, cordials).
We are therefore intending to reduce the maximum permitted level for
cyclamates in water-based flavoured drinks and to allow the use of
cyclamates in tabletop sweeteners.
We believe these measures will protect the public health and safety of
consumers.
We invite comment from all interested parties.

Submissions: FSANZ welcomes public comment from industry, public
health professionals, government agencies and consumers.
Details of all the assessments above can be found on www.foodstandards.gov.au
.. Submissions close on 4 July 2007 .

Media contact: Lydia Buchtmann 0401 714 265 (Australia) or +61 401
714 265 (from New Zealand)

[ See later in this post for extracts from 89-page review. ]

From: Prof. Jan M. C. Geuns
Date: Tuesday, May 29, 2997 1:32 am

Stevioside is on the point of getting an approval in Australia and
New Zealand! The draft of the authorisation is now on the website of
FSANZ (23rd May).

I would like to give some comments to the 2 Nonsense papers of the
group of Nunes:

1) Comments to the paper of Nunes APM, De Mattos JCP, Ferreira-
Machado SC, Nunes RM, Asad NR, Dantas FJS, Bezerra RJAC and Caldeira-
de-Araujo C (2006).
Biological effects of stevioside on the survival
of Escherichia coli strains and plasmid DNA.
Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 293: 187-192.

by Prof. Jan M.C. Geuns,
Lab Functional Biology, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, 3001 Leuven,
Belgium.
Email: Fax: +32-16-321509

Recently, Nunes et al. (2006) studied the biological effects of
stevioside (88.6 % purity) on the survival of E. coli strains and
plasmid DNA.
In vitro, stevioside at concentrations of 0, 0.4, 2, 4, 8, 15 and 20
mg/ml
did not modify pUC 9.1 plasmid DNA conformation change
from supercoiled to open circle
and had no effect on the protection of DNA
against deleterious effects of SnCl2.
It did not produce DNA damage.
In in vivo cell inactivation experiments, the authors
tested only the highest stevioside concentration (20 mg/ml).
They concluded that stevioside did not decrease the survival of WT E.
coli strain AB1157.
However, in different repair deficient strains
it was able to generate lesions and recA dependent repair
and base excision repair (BER) seemed to be the most important to
cells.
The authors hypothesised that to start the damage,
stevioside should first be metabolised.

Some comments to this last publication are the following:

-- several authors have shown that steviol glycosides do not produce
mutagenic effects,

-- the stevioside used by the authors was only 88.6 % pure
and only one concentration was tested in the cell inactivation
experiment.
It might well be that the effects observed were due to the impurities
present.

-- the concentration tested (20 mg/ml) is far above
the reported solubility of purified stevioside (1.25 mg/ml).
We tried to dissolve 99.9 % pure stevioside at 20mg/ml,
but it crystallises when the solution is cooling down!
However, it is possible to dissolve 88% pure stevioside
due to the impurities that act as a cosolvent.

-- Gardana et al. (2003) analysed the composition of fecal bacteria
in
relation with a metabolism study and found that only the group of
bacteroides could degrade stevioside into steviolbioside which later
on was converted to steviol.
The claim of the Brazilian group of Nunes et al. (2006)
hat E. coli metabolises stevioside to steviol is not correct
and the citation of references 13, 15, 17 and 18 in their
study to support this claim is wrong.
Wingard et al. (1980) and Koyama et al. (2003b)
studied the total intestinal microflora,
Terai et al. (2002) prepared steviol by incubation of stevioside in
an
unidentified suspension of a soil bacterium strain,
and Cardoso et al. (1996) never did incubation experiments
to study stevioside breakdown!

2) Comments to the paper by Nunes et al. (2007),
Analysis of genotoxic potentiality of stevioside by comet assay,
Food Chem. Toxicol. 45 (2007) 662-666.

by Prof. Jan M.C. Geuns, Lab Functional Biology,
Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
Email: Fax: +32-16-321509

Nunes et al. (2007) orally administered 1 concentration (4 mg/ml) of
stevioside (88.6% purity) to Wistar rats.
DNA-damage was evaluated by the comet assay.
They reported lesions in peripheral blood, liver, brain and spleen
cells,
the most pronounced effects being in the liver.

Some comments have to be made to this paper.
First of all, the structure shown in their Figure 1b is not correct
and it is not that of steviol, but that of ent-kaurenate.
The authors used stevioside with a purity of only 88.6 %
and they administered only 1 concentration,
i.e. the dose-dependence was not tested at all.
In their Tables 1 and 2 the SD's are very large,
sometimes much larger than the mean itself!
There was no positive control included in the experiment.
As the authors performed tests over a period of 6 weeks,
they should have included an internal standard to check the
electrophoresis parameters over that long period.
They did not refer to the excellent work by Sekihashi et al. (2002)
and Sasaki (2000) who also tested stevioside
and a large number of other compounds
under strictly standardised conditions including dose dependency,
a positive and negative control, and who did not find DNA damage by
steviol glycosides nor by steviol.
Moreover, Sekihashi et al. (2002) also tested stomach and colon cells,
and this is very relevant
as steviol glycosides are not absorbed (Koyama et al., 2003,
Geuns et al., 2003).
The authors refer to a metabolism study of IV injected 131I-
stevioside.
This metabolism might totally differ from that after oral uptake,
and the 131I might give a totally different metabolism.
The metabolism of oral stevioside has been thoroughly studied by
Simonetti et al. (2004) and Geuns et al. (2004, 2006, 2007)
and it was shown that there is no accumulation or metabolism of
steviol
in the human body,
except steviol glucuronide synthesis that is excreted in the urine.
The scores of the control blood cells (their Fig. 2)
vary from 0.6 ± 1.34 to up to 27 ± 13.3 at 6 weeks
and increase and decrease at different time points
(observe the values of the SD too).
The authors suggest stress as the possible cause.
However, this seems unbelievable
and a lack of standardisation by use of an internal standard,
and a lack of control of the quality of the feed,
that might contain mutagenic compounds, seem more likely.
Finally, the p-value discussed on p. 664, left column line 11
(p0.001)
is different from that in Table 1 (p0.01).

Geuns JMC, Augustijns P, Mols R, Buyse JG and Driessen B (2003).
Metabolism of stevioside in pigs and intestinal absorption
characteristics of Stevioside, Rebaudioside A and Steviol.
Food Chem. Toxicol. 41: 1599-1607.

Geuns JMC, Buyse J, Vankeirsbilck A and Temme L (2004).
Safety of stevioside used as a sweetener,
in Geuns JMC and Buyse J Eds.
"Proceedings of the first symposium on the Safety of Stevioside".
KULeuven, 2004. Euprint Editions ISBN 9074253024.

Geuns JMC, Buyse J, Vankeirsbilck A, Temme EHT, Compernolle F and
Toppet S (2006).
Identification of Steviol Glucuronide in Human Urine.
J. Agric. Food Chem. 54: 2794-2798.

Geuns JMC, Buyse J, Vankeirsbilck A, Temme EHT (2007).
Stevioside Metabolism by Human Volunteers.
Experimental Biology and Medicine 232 (1): 164-173.

Koyama E, Kitazawa K, Ohori Y, Izawa O, Kakegawa K, Fujino A, Ui M
(2003a).
In vitro metabolism of the glycosidic sweeteners, Stevia mixture
and enzymatically modified Stevia in human intestinal microflora.
Food and Chemical Toxicology 41: 359-374.

Koyama E, Sakai N, Ohori Y, Kitazawa K, Izawa O, Kakegawa K, Fujino A
and Ui M (2003b).
Absorption and metabolism of the glycosidic sweeteners,
Stevia related compounds in human and rat.
Food and Chemical Toxicology 41: 875-883.

Sasaki YF, Sekihashi K, Izumiyama F, Nishidate E, Saga A, Ishida K
and Tsuda S (2000). The Comet Assay with Multiple Mouse Organs:
Comparison of Comet Assay Results and Carcinogenicity with 208
Chemicals Selected from the IARC Monographs and U.S. NTP
Carcinogenicity Database.
Critical Reviews in Toxicology 30 (6): 629-799.

Sekihashi K, Saitoh H and Sasaki YF (2002).
Genotoxicity studies of Stevia extract and steviol by the comet assay.
J. Toxicol. Sc. 27 supplement I: 1-8.

Simonetti P, Gardana C, Bramati L and Pietta PG (2004).
Bioavailability of Stevioside from Stevia rebaudiana in human
volunteers: preliminary report p 51-62,
in Geuns, JMC and Buyse J Eds.
"Proceedings of the first symposium on the Safety of Stevioside".
KULeuven, Euprint Editions ISBN 9074253024, pp. 127.


www.foodstandards.gov.au/

Food Standards Australia New Zealand FSANZ

Australia:
Boeing House 55 Blackall Street BARTON ACT 2600
Ph: +61 2 6271 2222 Fax: +61 2 6271 2278
Reception:
PO Box 7186 Canberra BC ACT 2610 Australia

Information/Publications Officer:
For: Copies of publications, fact sheets and brochures;
Website enquiries;
Consumer enquiries.

Standards Management Officer:
for: making an application;
progress with the assessment of applications or proposals or completed
applications;
making submissions on applications and proposals which have been
released for public comment;
Gazettal of amendments to the Code.

New Zealand:
Level 6 108 The Terrace WELLINGTON NEW ZEALAND
Ph: +64 4 473 9942 Fax: +64 4 473 9855
PO Box 10559 The Terrace, Wellington 6036 New Zealand
email:

http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/stan...0stevi3096.cfm

Application A540 - Stevol Glycosides as Intense Sweeteners

Draft Assessment Report - 23 May 2007 [ word | pdf 584 kb ]

Inital / Draft Assessment Report - 7 December 2005 [ word |
pdf 187 kb ]

http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_src..._DAR_FINAL.pdf
89 pages

pag1 3-07
23 May 2007
DRAFT ASSESSMENT REPORT
APPLICATION A540
STEVIOL GLYCOSIDES AS INTENSE SWEETENERS
DEADLINE FOR PUBLIC SUBMISSIONS: 6pm (Canberra time) 4 July 2007
SUBMISSIONS RECEIVED AFTER THIS DEADLINE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED
(See 'Invitation for Public Submissions' for details)
For Information on matters relating to this Assessment Report or the
assessment process
generally, please refer to http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/standardsdevelopment/

pages 87-89 Attachment 5

Summary of Submissions

Initial Assessment

Sixteen submissions were received in response to the Initial
Assessment Report.

Fourteen submissions supported the progression of the Application to
Draft Assessment
with industry submissions strongly supporting the approval of steviol
glycosides
as an intense sweetener.

Two submissions suggested deferring the Draft Assessment until after
JECFA had evaluated
the additional studies requested at its 63rd meeting.

Submitter Comments

Complementary Healthcare Council (CHC)
The CHC has no concerns with the progression of this application.

Department of Human Services Victoria (DHS)
DHS notes steviol glycosides are not permitted for use in the EU
or USA, however, are approved and used in other countries.
DHS will provide further comment at the Draft Assessment stage
after reviewing the toxicological and dietary modelling data.

Crop & Food Research New Zealand
Crop & Food Research New Zealand support A540 based on
Initial Assessment.
It is noted that safety literature has not been examined
by Crop and Food Research.

DIC International (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
DIC International strongly supports A540.
DIC International also provided additional information including:
· history and manufacturing process of stevia;
· merits and defects of stevia as a sweetener;
· metabolism of stevia;
· some additional Toxicological information; and
· countries where stevia is approved for use.

Fonterra Brands Australia (P& B)
Fonterra Brands Australia (P & B) supports progression of A540
to Draft Assessment.
Additional Comments:
· Steviol glycosides would provide alternative intense sweeteners
for use.
· Consumer research shows interest in low caloric foods.
· Suggest FSANZ may consider why this additive is not permitted
for use in the US or Europe.

SA Department of Health SA Department of Health
has no objections to the progression of this application.

88

Submitter Comments
New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA)
NZFSA supports A540 proceeding to Draft Assessment.
Additional comments to consider in the Draft Assessment include:
· only a temporary ADI has been set with JECFA waiting for
further data (does this application contain the extra information
requested by JECFA?);
· consideration needs to be given to JECFA concerns regarding
pharmacological effects particularly in relation to Type I & II
diabetics;
· NZFSA believe dietary modelling needs to consider exposure
from table top sweeteners;
· NZFSA is aware of a dietary supplement sold in NZ as 'Stevia
Dietary Supplement' which contains 60 mg Stevia rebaudiana
Bertoni extract per 1g serving; and
· NZFSA suggests clarification be sough status of
stevia from the Novel Foods Reference Group.

New Zealand Juice & Beverage Association Inc (NZJBA)
NZJBA support A540. NZJBA believe that this will extend the
number of approved sweeteners available increasing consumer choice.

Australian Beverages Council Ltd (ABCL)
ABCL supports approval of steviol glycosides as a food additive.
Additional comments:
· Temporary JECFA ADI is based on a 200-fold safety factor
assuming a mid-dose of 970 mg/kg of stevioside was the NOEL
in rat carcinogenicity study. ABCL and the University of
Queensland believe it to based on a NOEL of 2,000 mg/kg.
Believe the ADI can safely be assessed at 4 times that set by JECFA
· ABCL requests FSANZ approves a use level of steviol
glycosides at 1000 ppm in water based flavoured beverages and
fruit and vegetable juice products. ABC note that milk and soy
containing beverages will require more stevia sweeteners
because of their protein and fat contents and request amount
permitted to be 1000 ppm.
· ABCL suggests dietary modelling should be conservative in
assumptions of market use. They suggest dietary modelling
should be based on current uses of aspartame and other
approved sweeteners are appropriate.
· ABCL believes that JECFA's assessment of steviol glycosides
replacing 20-30% of sugar is very optimistic market assessment.
· ABCL believe there will be consumer benefit through controlled
energy intake while enjoying food and beverages.
· ABCL also notes the potential development of a new
agricultural crop for Australia.

89

Submitter Comments

Australian Stevia Mills Supports application A540.
Additional comments
· Stevia is a safe natural alternative to artificial sweeteners
· Stevia does not promote calories
· Stevia is safe to use in baked products and products with varying
pH.
· Currently no artificial sweeteners are locally owned products,
potential cash crop for Australia.
Successful trials in Eastern states of Australia.
· The federal government supports development of stevia through
projects under RIRDC.
· Potential stakeholder benefits to federal and state governments,
diabetic and obese people, general public in reducing dental caries

Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC)
Supports A540 - Steviol glycoside as an intense sweetener.

Health & Herbs Ltd Supports A540 - Steviol glycoside as a sweetener

Queensland Health -Environmental Health Unit
Believe FSANZ should defer further assessment until 2007 when
additional studies on pharmacological effects of the sweetener
(required by FAO/WHO).
Suggest delay will not be significant to industry as other intense
sweeteners are available.
Also notes that EU and USA do not currently permit steviol glycosides.

Cadbury Schweppes
Supports A540 - Steviol glycosides as a sweetener in a broad
range of products

NSW Food Authority
Recommends waiting for further toxicological data required by JECFA.
Notes that the NFRG formed the view that stevia is a novel food,
therefore the novelty of this food will need to be assessed

Food Technology Association of Victoria Inc
Supports A540 - Steviol glycosides as a sweetener


page 33 Conclusions

This review of supplementary data indicated that stevioside is
metabolised completely to
steviol in the gastrointestinal tract, which is absorbed into the
blood stream and then exerts a
pharmacological effect by lowering blood pressure and blood glucose.
While the precise
mechanism of pharmacological action remains to be defined, stevioside
is unlikely to produce
hypoglycaemia or hypotension in humans at concentrations encountered
in the diet. Studies
previously reviewed by JECFA confirm the low toxicity potential of
stevioside. On this basis,
there are unlikely to be any safety issues associated with the use of
stevioside as a sweetener.
No suitable human study was identified that could serve as a basis of
an ADI for stevioside.
However, steviol glycosides are well tolerated and unlikely to have
adverse effects on blood
pressure, blood glucose or other parameters in normal, hypotensive or
diabetic subjects at
doses up to 11 mg/kg bw/day.

The adequacy of the existing database and a new study in humans
provides a basis for
revising the uncertainty factors that were used by JECFA to derive the
temporary ADI for
steviol glycosides in 2005. In particular, the evidence surrounding
the pharmacological
effects of steviol glycosides on blood pressure and blood glucose has
been strengthened so
that the additional 2-fold safety factor for uncertainty related to
effects in normotensive or
diabetic individuals is no longer required.

As the ADME data indicated that stevioside is completely converted to
steviol in animals and
humans, the ADI is expressed in terms of steviol equivalents. This
allows for any variability
in the individual glycosides in mixtures of steviol glycoside extracts
(e.g. different ratios of
stevioside/rebaudioside) to be accounted for by the ADI being
expressed in steviol
equivalents. Therefore, based on this complete metabolism, a
conversion factor of 40% from
the steviol glycoside, stevioside (relative molecular mass:
stevioside, 805; steviol, 318) to
steviol is used to calculate the ADI.

Therefore a full ADI of 4 mg/kg bw/day, derived by applying a 100-fold
safety factor to the
NOEL of 970 mg/kg bw/day (equivalent to 383 mg/kg bw/day steviol) in a
2-year rat study,
has been established. At the next highest dose equivalent to 2000 and
2400 mg/kg bw/day in
males and female rats, respectively reduced bodyweight gain and
survival were observed.

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J.M.C., 2000.
Biosynthesis of the diterpenoid steviol, an ent-kaurene derivative
from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni,
via the methylerythritol phosphate pathway.
Tetrahedron Letters 41, 6407-6410.

Wang LZ, Goh BC, Fan L and Lee HS (2004)
Sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry
method
for determination of steviol in rat plasma.
Rapid. Commun. Mass. Spectrom., 18, 83086.

WHO (1999)
Safety evaluation of certain food additives (stevioside).
Food Additives Series No. 42, WHO, Geneva.

WHO (2005)
Evaluation of certain food additives and contaminants
(Sixty-third report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food
Additives).
(steviol glucosides). WHO Technical Report Series No. 928, WHO,
Geneva.

Wingard RE, Brown JP, Enerlin FE et al (1980)
Intestinal degradation and absorption of the glycosidic sweeteners
stevioside
and rebaudioside A.
Experientia, 36, 519-520.

Wong KL, Lin JW, Liu JC (2006)
Antiproliferative effect of isosteviol on angiotension-II-treated rat
aortic smooth muscle cells.
Pharmacology, 76, 163-169.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1436
FDA's corrupt war against safe herbal sweetener stevia,
Mary Nash Stoddard, 2006 January,
Aspartame Consumer Safety Network: Murray 2007.05.24

[ See also:

stevia, balanced factual detailed review in Wikipedia: Murray
2007.05.19
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1430
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1419
two recent warning studies on stevia toxicity on rats and bacteria, AP
Nunes et al, 2007 April, 2006 Dec, links to 18 positive abstracts from
2000 February to 2004 January: Murray 2007.05.03

At the end of this post, I link to my 5 previous reviews in 2005
August that give 18 full abstacts in PubMed on stevia toxicity from
2000 February to 2004 January, which do not find that stevia is
practically toxic to humans in ordinary use -- and give an opposite
positive abstract using the Comet assay in 2002 December, and then
share the conclusion from the full text of another study on
mutagenicity, T Terai et al 2002 July. ]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1427
more from The Independent, UK, Martin Hickman, re ASDA
(unit of Wal-Mart Stores)
and Marks & Spencer ban of aspartame, MSG, artificial chemical
additives and dyes to prevent ADHD in kids: Murray 2007.05.16
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/hea...cle2548747.ece

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1426
ASDA (unit of Wal-Mart Stores WMT.N) and Marks & Spencer
will join Tesco and also Sainsbury to ban and limit aspartame,
MSG, artificial flavors dyes preservatives additives, trans fats,
salt "nasties" to protect kids from ADHD: leading UK media:
Murray 2007.05.15

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1271
combining aspartame and quinoline yellow, or MSG and
brilliant blue, harms nerve cells, eminent C. Vyvyan
Howard et al, 2005 education.guardian.co.uk,
Felicity Lawrence: Murray 2005.12.21

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1277
50% UK baby food is now organic -- aspartame or MSG
with food dyes harm nerve cells, CV Howard 3 year study
funded by Lizzy Vann, CEO, Organix Brands,
Children's Food Advisory Service: Murray 2006.01.13

formaldehyde as a potent unexamined cofactor in cancer research --
sources include methanol, dark wines and liquors, aspartame, wood and
tobacco smoke: IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks
to Humans implicate formaldehyde in #88 and alcohol drinks in #96:
some related abstracts: Murray 2007.05.15
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1417

aspartame (methanol, formaldehyde) toxicity research summary: Rich
Murray 2007.05.29
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1404

One liter aspartame diet soda, about 3 12-oz cans,
gives 61.5 mg methanol,
so if 30% is turned into formaldehyde, the formaldehyde
dose of 18.5 mg is 37 times the recent EPA limit of
0.5 mg per liter daily drinking water for a 10-kg child:
http://www.epa.gov/teach/chem_summ/F...de_summary.pdf
2007.01.05 [ does not discuss formaldehyde from methanol
or aspartame ]
http://www.epa.gov/teach/teachsurvey.html comments


"Of course, everyone chooses, as a natural priority,
to actively find, quickly share, and positively act upon
the facts about healthy and safe food, drink, and
environment."

Rich Murray, MA Room For All
505-501-2298 1943 Otowi Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages
group with 75 members, 1,437 posts in a public, searchable archive
http://RMForAll.blogspot.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1340
aspartame groups and books: updated research review of
2004.07.16: Murray 2006.05.11

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1395
Aspartame Controversy, in Wikipedia democratic
encyclopedia, 72 references (including AspartameNM # 864
and 1173 by Murray), brief fair summary of much more
research: Murray 2007.01.01

Dark wines and liquors, as well as aspartame, provide
similar levels of methanol, above 120 mg daily, for
long-term heavy users, 2 L daily, about 6 cans.

Within hours, methanol is inevitably largely turned into
formaldehyde, and thence largely into formic acid -- the
major causes of the dreaded symptoms of "next morning"
hangover.

Fully 11% of aspartame is methanol -- 1,120 mg aspartame
in 2 L diet soda, almost six 12-oz cans, gives 123 mg
methanol (wood alcohol). If 30% of the methanol is turned
into formaldehyde, the amount of formaldehyde, 37 mg,
is 18.5 times the USA EPA limit for daily formaldehyde in
drinking water, 2.0 mg in 2 L average daily drinking water.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1286
methanol products (formaldehyde and formic acid) are main
cause of alcohol hangover symptoms [same as from similar
amounts of methanol, the 11% part of aspartame]:
YS Woo et al, 2005 Dec: Murray 2006.01.20

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1143
methanol (formaldehyde, formic acid) disposition:
Bouchard M et al, full plain text, 2001: substantial
sources are degradation of fruit pectins, liquors,
aspartame, smoke: Murray 2005.04.02
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

On 29 May 2007 20:18:12 -0700, Rich Murray
wrote:

http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/...ed_restricted/


Stevioside import ban

murray is a known net scammer and troll/nutter.

On May 29, 9:33 pm, Mâck©® wrote:
On 29 May 2007 20:18:12 -0700, Rich Murray
wrote:

http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/...ed_restricted/

Stevioside import ban

murray is a known net scammer and troll/nutter.

Mack, Thanks for your polite, referenced, accurate comment this
morning on alt.support.diabetes .

I regret that I inadvertently posted a very long post there twice.

Many substantial groups in Australia New Zealand support the stevia
approval.

In mutual service, Rich


Application A540 - Stevol Glycosides as Intense Sweeteners

Draft Assessment Report - 23 May 2007 [ word | pdf 584 kb ]

Inital / Draft Assessment Report - 7 December 2005 [ word |
pdf 187 kb ]

http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_src..._DAR_FINAL.pdf
89 pages

pag1 3-07
23 May 2007
DRAFT ASSESSMENT REPORT
APPLICATION A540
STEVIOL GLYCOSIDES AS INTENSE SWEETENERS
DEADLINE FOR PUBLIC SUBMISSIONS: 6pm (Canberra time) 4 July 2007
SUBMISSIONS RECEIVED AFTER THIS DEADLINE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED
(See 'Invitation for Public Submissions' for details)
For Information on matters relating to this Assessment Report or the
assessment process
generally, please refer to http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/standardsdevelopment/

pages 87-89 Attachment 5

Summary of Submissions

Initial Assessment

Sixteen submissions were received in response to the Initial
Assessment Report.

Fourteen submissions supported the progression of the Application to
Draft Assessment with industry submissions
strongly supporting the approval of steviol glycosides
as an intense sweetener.

Two submissions suggested deferring the Draft Assessment until after
JECFA had evaluated
the additional studies requested at its 63rd meeting.

Submitter Comments

Complementary Healthcare Council (CHC)
The CHC has no concerns with the progression of this application.

Department of Human Services Victoria (DHS)
DHS notes steviol glycosides are not permitted for use in the EU
or USA, however, are approved and used in other countries.
DHS will provide further comment at the Draft Assessment stage
after reviewing the toxicological and dietary modelling data.

Crop & Food Research New Zealand
Crop & Food Research New Zealand support A540 based on
Initial Assessment.
It is noted that safety literature has not been examined
by Crop and Food Research.

DIC International (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
DIC International strongly supports A540.
DIC International also provided additional information including:
· history and manufacturing process of stevia;
· merits and defects of stevia as a sweetener;
· metabolism of stevia;
· some additional Toxicological information; and
· countries where stevia is approved for use.

Fonterra Brands Australia (P& B)
Fonterra Brands Australia (P & B) supports progression of A540
to Draft Assessment.
Additional Comments:
· Steviol glycosides would provide alternative intense sweeteners
for use.
· Consumer research shows interest in low caloric foods.
· Suggest FSANZ may consider why this additive is not permitted
for use in the US or Europe.

SA Department of Health SA Department of Health
has no objections to the progression of this application.

88

Submitter Comments
New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA)
NZFSA supports A540 proceeding to Draft Assessment.
Additional comments to consider in the Draft Assessment include:
· only a temporary ADI has been set with JECFA waiting for
further data (does this application contain the extra information
requested by JECFA?);
· consideration needs to be given to JECFA concerns regarding
pharmacological effects particularly in relation to Type I & II
diabetics;
· NZFSA believe dietary modelling needs to consider exposure
from table top sweeteners;
· NZFSA is aware of a dietary supplement sold in NZ as 'Stevia
Dietary Supplement' which contains 60 mg Stevia rebaudiana
Bertoni extract per 1g serving; and
· NZFSA suggests clarification be sough status of
stevia from the Novel Foods Reference Group.

New Zealand Juice & Beverage Association Inc (NZJBA)
NZJBA support A540. NZJBA believe that this will extend the
number of approved sweeteners available increasing consumer choice.

Australian Beverages Council Ltd (ABCL)
ABCL supports approval of steviol glycosides as a food additive.
Additional comments:
· Temporary JECFA ADI is based on a 200-fold safety factor
assuming a mid-dose of 970 mg/kg of stevioside was the NOEL
in rat carcinogenicity study. ABCL and the University of
Queensland believe it to based on a NOEL of 2,000 mg/kg.
Believe the ADI can safely be assessed at 4 times that set by JECFA
· ABCL requests FSANZ approves a use level of steviol
glycosides at 1000 ppm in water based flavoured beverages and
fruit and vegetable juice products. ABC note that milk and soy
containing beverages will require more stevia sweeteners
because of their protein and fat contents and request amount
permitted to be 1000 ppm.
· ABCL suggests dietary modelling should be conservative in
assumptions of market use. They suggest dietary modelling
should be based on current uses of aspartame and other
approved sweeteners are appropriate.
· ABCL believes that JECFA's assessment of steviol glycosides
replacing 20-30% of sugar is very optimistic market assessment.
· ABCL believe there will be consumer benefit through controlled
energy intake while enjoying food and beverages.
· ABCL also notes the potential development of a new
agricultural crop for Australia.

89

Submitter Comments

Australian Stevia Mills Supports application A540.
Additional comments
· Stevia is a safe natural alternative to artificial sweeteners
· Stevia does not promote calories
· Stevia is safe to use in baked products and products with varying
pH.
· Currently no artificial sweeteners are locally owned products,
potential cash crop for Australia.
Successful trials in Eastern states of Australia.
· The federal government supports development of stevia through
projects under RIRDC.
· Potential stakeholder benefits to federal and state governments,
diabetic and obese people, general public in reducing dental caries

Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC)
Supports A540 - Steviol glycoside as an intense sweetener.

Health & Herbs Ltd Supports A540 - Steviol glycoside as a sweetener

Queensland Health -Environmental Health Unit
Believe FSANZ should defer further assessment until 2007 when
additional studies on pharmacological effects of the sweetener
(required by FAO/WHO).
Suggest delay will not be significant to industry as other intense
sweeteners are available.
Also notes that EU and USA do not currently permit steviol glycosides.

Cadbury Schweppes
Supports A540 - Steviol glycosides as a sweetener in a broad
range of products

NSW Food Authority
Recommends waiting for further toxicological data required by JECFA.
Notes that the NFRG formed the view that stevia is a novel food,
therefore the novelty of this food will need to be assessed

Food Technology Association of Victoria Inc
Supports A540 - Steviol glycosides as a sweetener


On May 30, 5:41 am, Mâck©® wrote:
On 29 May 2007 21:05:47 -0700, Rich Murray
wrote:

http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/...ed_restricted/

Stevioside import ban

Stevioside is a very strong sweetener, made from the stevia plant. It
is 250 to 300 times sweeter than sucrose and has been used for a
number of years as a sweetener in South America, Asia, Japan and
China. But stevia and stevioside and food products containing them are
not allowed to be sold in the UK or the rest of the EU.


2. Mâck©®
View profile
More options May 29, 9:25 pm
Newsgroups: alt.support.diabetes, alt.support.diabetes.uk
From: Mâck©®
Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 23:25:54 -0400
Local: Tues, May 29 2007 9:25 pm
Subject: stevia to be approved and cyclamates limited by Food
Standards Australia New Zealand: JMC Geuns critiques of two recent
stevia studies by Nunes: Murray 2007.05.29
Reply | Reply to author | Forward | Print | Individual message | Show
original | Report this message | Find messages by this author

Note: The author of this message requested that it not be archived.
This message will be removed from Groups in 6 days (Jun 5, 9:25 pm).

On 29 May 2007 20:15:32 -0700, Rich Murray
wrote:

http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/...ed_restricted/

Stevioside import ban

I hope the Australian readers are forwarding this link to their
agencies and also informing them that stevia scammers like murray the
nutter are not to be trusted.

Where does it say that stevia is to be approved in Aus and NZ???

On Thu, 31 May 2007 06:32:10 +1000, "Ozgirl"
wrote:

Where does it say that stevia is to be approved in Aus and NZ???

As far as I know it's already quite legal here. I remember
JDA, an asd poster, buying some quite easily in a
health-food shop when I met him here on the Gold Coast.

The TGA lists it as an approved item on the list of
"Substances that may be used in Listed medicines" in
Australia
http://www.tga.gov.au/cm/listsubs.pdf page 152.

The OP is probably referring to this application for use of
"STEVIOL GLYCOSIDES AS INTENSE SWEETENERS"

http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_src...h=%22stevia%22

I don't have a problem with it. Too many people find it too
hard to separate the worth, or otherwise, of stevia from the
anti-aspartame fanatics. I doubt that our FSANZ will be
swayed either way by those kooks or by us. Thank goodness.

Two quite separate issues as far as I'm concerned.


Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.
d&e, metformin 1500mg, ezetrol 10mg
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter.
--
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/
latest: Slovenia

"Alan S" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 31 May 2007 06:32:10 +1000, "Ozgirl"
wrote:

Where does it say that stevia is to be approved in Aus and NZ???

As far as I know it's already quite legal here. I remember
JDA, an asd poster, buying some quite easily in a
health-food shop when I met him here on the Gold Coast.

Yes, sorry. I meant as an approved sweetener. I have seen it in health
foods stores for years. I obviously missed the bit of the nutter's post that
said it had been approved for a sweetener here

On Thu, 31 May 2007 09:43:01 +1000, "Ozgirl"
wrote:


"Alan S" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 31 May 2007 06:32:10 +1000, "Ozgirl"
wrote:

Where does it say that stevia is to be approved in Aus and NZ???

As far as I know it's already quite legal here. I remember
JDA, an asd poster, buying some quite easily in a
health-food shop when I met him here on the Gold Coast.

Yes, sorry. I meant as an approved sweetener. I have seen it in health
foods stores for years. I obviously missed the bit of the nutter's post that
said it had been approved for a sweetener here



it has not actually received that kind of approval.

--
Mâck©® Deltec CoZmore Pumper
Type 1 since 1975
http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org
http://www.diabetic-talk.org
http://www.insulin-pumpers.org
http://www.pandora.com enter "Jason & Demarco"



"To announce that there must be no criticism of the
President, or that we are to stand by the President
right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile,
but is morally treasonable to the American public."
....Theodore Roosevelt

(o ô)
--ooO-(_)-Ooo--------------------

"I don't know half of you
half as well as I should like;
and I like less than half of you
half as well as you deserve."
....Bilbo Baggins


DISCLAIMER If you find a posting or message from me
offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it.
If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to
me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate...
..

"Mâck©®" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 31 May 2007 09:43:01 +1000, "Ozgirl"
wrote:


"Alan S" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 31 May 2007 06:32:10 +1000, "Ozgirl"
wrote:

Where does it say that stevia is to be approved in Aus and NZ???

As far as I know it's already quite legal here. I remember
JDA, an asd poster, buying some quite easily in a
health-food shop when I met him here on the Gold Coast.

Yes, sorry. I meant as an approved sweetener. I have seen it in health
foods stores for years. I obviously missed the bit of the nutter's post
that
said it had been approved for a sweetener here



it has not actually received that kind of approval.

Just as I suspected, smoke and mirrors. Our drug and foods organisation
usually take the lead from the FDA.