Scientific Committee on Food

SCF/CS/ADD/EDUL/167 final Opinion on stevioside as a sweetener (adopted on 17/6/99) Terms of Reference To re-evaluate the safety of stevioside (13-[(2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy]-kaur-16-en-18-oic acid-4α-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester), a glycoside of the diterpene derivative steviol, extracted and refined from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves, in use as a sweetener in light of additional information received. Background Stevioside is a high intensity sweetener, 250-300 times that of sucrose, intended to be used in a wide range of low or reduced calorie food products and beverages. Stevia rebaudiana is native in South America. Both the plant and extracts of the plant have been used for several years as a sweetener in South America, Asia, Japan and China. Stevioside was considered by the Committee for the first time during its comprehensive review of sweeteners in 1985 (1). The review on the safety of stevioside was updated