Are stevia plant extracts safe?

Stevia-based sweeteners are purified extracts from the leaves of the stevia plant, called steviol glycosides, which is native to Paraguay.

Marketed as a "natural sweetener", manufacturers hope steviol glycosides will appeal to consumers looking for a healthier alternative to sugar.

The plant extract – which is 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar and is also calorie-free – has been used as a sweetener for many years in Asia and South America.

When used as a table top sweetener, steviol glycosides are often mixed with other artificial sweeteners for texture, and to mask their sometimes bitter aftertaste.

Steviol glycosides are approved for use in sugar-free soft drinks, jams, flavoured milk and other dairy products, cakes, desserts and alcohol, among other things.

When consumed, steviol glycosides are broken down into steviol, which is absorbed by the body. The body does not store steviol glycosides and they are rapidly eliminated in faeces and urine.

Steviol glycosides were approved by the EU in 2010 after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) carried out a comprehensive analysis of all the available evidence and concluded they were safe for human consumption.

Extensive research has been done on steviol glycosides, involving both humans and animals. After analysing all the available evidence, the EFSA's reviewing panel concluded that steviol glycosides are not carcinogenic, toxic or pose a risk to pregnancy or children.

Acceptable daily intake: 4mg/kg body weight. http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/are-stevia-plant-extracts-safe.aspx