From the site: http://www.stevia.net/
[FONT=arial, helvetiva, sans-serif]So, anyone ever try this? I've seen it on the shelves of a local supermarket in their health food section and been wondering what it is.
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[/FONT][FONT=arial, helvetiva, sans-serif][SIZE=+2]If[/SIZE] you've ever tasted stevia, you know it's extremely sweet. In fact, this remarkable noncaloric herb, native to Paraguay, has been used as a sweetener and flavor enhancer for centuries. But this innocuous-looking plant has also been a focal point of intrigue in the United States in recent years because of actions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. [/FONT] [FONT=arial, helvetiva, sans-serif] The subject of searches and seizures, trade complaints and embargoes on importation, stevia has been handled at times by the FDA as if it were an illegal drug. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial, helvetiva, sans-serif] Since the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), stevia can be sold legally in the United States, but only as a "dietary supplement." Even so, it can be found in many forms in most health-food stores, and is also incorporated into drinks, teas and other items (all labeled as "dietary supplements"). It cannot, however, be called a "sweetener" or even referred to as "sweet." To do so would render the product "adulterated," according to the FDA, and make it again subject to seizure.
[FONT=arial, helvetiva, sans-serif]So, anyone ever try this? I've seen it on the shelves of a local supermarket in their health food section and been wondering what it is.
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