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Feds give thumbs-up to new, no-cal sweetener, stevia

By Coco Ballantyne | Dec 18, 2008 | 4

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) late last night declared that a controversial new sweetener is safe, raising the ire of consumer advocates who charge that not enough tests have been done to rule out possible risks. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) today denounced the FDA decision, saying that previous animal studies showed a possible link between potentially cancerous genetic mutations and the no-cal sugar sub stevia, which is derived from a shrub grown in South America.

"It is far too soon to allow this substance in the diet sodas and juice drinks consumed by millions of people," CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson said in a statement.

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