Blue California notifies FDA of GRAS for its stevia ingredient
Blue California claims that its Good & Sweet Reb-A is available as 97 or 99 percent pure and self-affirmed that it was generally recognized as safe (GRAS) in December, just days before Merisant and Cargill received official notification from the FDA for their Reb-A ingredients.
Blue California’s vice president Cecilia McCollum told FoodNavigator-USA.com: “We are confident because it has the highest purity on the market right now.”
The FDA’s target for reviewing a GRAS notice is 180 days but McCollum said she was hopeful that the Good & Sweet ingredient could receive one earlier, considering the recent acceptance of similar ingredients.
Rebaudioside-A, also known as Reb-A or rebiana, is a natural, zero-calorie sweetener said to be 200 times sweeter than sugar, derived from the leaves of the stevia plant.
