Home » Blog » Health Article » Food » Global Regulations Overview of Steviol Glycosides
Stevioside

Global Regulations Overview of Steviol Glycosides

“Consensus” refers to the “Scientific Consensus on Food Sweeteners (2022)” jointly released by four organizations in October 2022. The document emphasizes the safety of sweeteners based on rigorous food safety risk assessments and provides recommendations for a balanced diet. It addresses the need to avoid excessive reliance on sweeteners while acknowledging their benefits, including reducing the risk of tooth decay. The promotion of the “Consensus” involves implementing and enforcing regulatory standards globally, especially in the evolving landscape of sweeteners. The article highlights the challenges faced by steviol glycosides, a representative sweetener, and compiles global regulations on them for reference.甜菊糖苷

Asia·China

Currently, steviol glycoside is widely used as a sweetener in the food industry. According to the “National Food Safety Standard Food Additive Use Standard” (GB 2760-2014), steviol glycoside can be used in various food categories, including flavored fermented milk, frozen drinks, candied fruits, roasted nuts and seeds, candies, pastries, table seasonings, condiments, beverages, jellies, puffed foods, and tea products. The standard specifies the maximum usage levels for steviol glycoside (calculated as steviol equivalents) in each category.

In the announcements No. 13 of 2017 and No. 4 of 2020 released by the National Health Commission, the scope of use of steviol glycoside has been expanded to include formulated milk, canned fruits, jams, canned whole grains, and ready-to-eat cereals, among others. Specific usage levels (calculated as steviol equivalents) are also provided for each of these categories.

On June 30, 2022, the National Health Commission issued the “National Food Safety Standard Food Additive Steviol Glycoside” (GB 1886.355-2022), updating the scope of steviol glycoside to include 13 glycosides obtained from sweet leaf stevia leaves. This standard, effective from December 30, 2022, provides more space for the use and further promotion of steviol glycoside.

Asia·Indonesia

In September 2021, the Indonesian Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) revised the functional claims of several common sweeteners, including isomaltulose, xylitol, and sucralose.

Regarding the labeling of food additives in ingredient lists, the BPOM regulation “Indonesian Processed Food Labeling Regulations” specifies different labeling requirements based on the functional category of the food additive. For sweeteners and five other categories, both the functional name and the name of the food additive must be indicated. It is crucial to note that processed foods containing specific types of food additives must also display prescribed warning statements. For example, if artificial sweeteners are used, warning statements regarding the recommended population groups not to use the product must be included.

Stevioside
Stevioside

Europe·European Union

It is reported that the authorization for the use of high-purity steviol glycoside in food and beverages in the European Union began in 2011. Approved high-purity steviol glycosides include stevioside, rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B, rebaudioside C, rebaudioside D, rebaudioside E, rebaudioside F, dulcoside A, steviolbioside, and steviol glycoside.

Since 2021, the safety of enzymatically produced rebaudioside A, rebaudioside D, rebaudioside M, and rebaudioside AM from purified sweet leaf stevia leaf extract has also been assessed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). In July 2021, the European Commission amended Regulations (EC) No 1333/2008 and (EU) No 231/2012, allowing the use of enzymatically produced rebaudioside as a food sweetener. To distinguish steviol glycosides from different sources, the regulation changed “Steviol Glycoside” (E960) to “Steviol Glycoside from Stevia rebaudiana” (E960a) and “Steviol Glycoside produced by enzymatic conversion” (E960c).

Currently, the permitted use of steviol glycosides in the European Union includes flavored fermented milk products, fruits and vegetables in water, vinegar, oil or brine, fruits and vegetables products (excluding candied fruits), chewing gum, breakfast cereals, fine bakery products, table sweeteners, beer and malt beverages, potatoes, cereals, flour or starch snacks, processed nuts, processed fish and fishery products, including mollusks and crustaceans, flavored beverages, mustard, and more.

North America·United States

Steviol glycoside has been granted Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status by the FDA in the United States. Since 2008, nearly 50 different compositions and production methods of steviol glycoside have been approved. These include purified steviol glycosides with rebaudioside A as the main component, rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B, rebaudioside C, rebaudioside D, rebaudioside E, rebaudioside M, and rebaudioside I. The use of enzymatically produced rebaudioside M has also been approved. Steviol glycoside is generally permitted for use in food in the United States but excludes meat and poultry products and infant formula.

Regarding sugary beverage taxes, since Berkeley, California, became the first U.S. city to tax “sugary” beverages in 2014, at least 33 states across the United States have subsequently enacted regulations related to sugary beverage taxes.

North America·Canada

In August 2017, Health Canada released the “List of Permitted Sweeteners,” approving the use of steviol glycoside from sweet leaf stevia as a sweetener in nine categories of foods, including table sweeteners, breakfast cereals, beverages, bakery products, and chewing gum. Over the following five years, the sources and applications of steviol glycoside continued to expand. The updated list on May 14, 2019, added rebaudioside glycosides CD15380 and CD15407 derived from brewing yeast, and on September 1, 2020, rebaudioside glycoside Y63348 from brewing yeast was added. In 2022, steviol glycoside derived from yeast VRM was added, and the scope of use was expanded to eleven categories.

South America·Brazil

The National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) in Brazil has adjusted the use of sweeteners in some products, such as steviol glycoside in chewing gum and 0-sugar and low-sugar food and beverage products.

Reference

  1. Yang Z, Li JL, Liu LN, Xie Q, Sui N. Photosynthetic Regulation Under Salt Stress and Salt-Tolerance Mechanism of Sweet Sorghum. Front Plant Sci. 2020 Jan 15;10:1722. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01722. PMID: 32010174; PMCID: PMC6974683.
  2. Sun Z, Lü B, Feng Y. [Synthetic biology for the synthesis of mogroside V – a review]. Sheng Wu Gong Cheng Xue Bao. 2020 Oct 25;36(10):2017-2028. Chinese. doi: 10.13345/j.cjb.200072. PMID: 33169567.
  3. Venditti C, Musa-Veloso K, Lee HY, Poon T, Mak A, Darch M, Juana J, Fronda D, Noori D, Pateman E, Jack M. Determinants of Sweetness Preference: A Scoping Review of Human Studies. Nutrients. 2020 Mar 8;12(3):718. doi: 10.3390/nu12030718. PMID: 32182697; PMCID: PMC7146214.
  4. Depth of the sweetener industry: Sugar substitutes are becoming a trend, and the structure is gradually adjusted.
Scroll to Top