FSANZ invites submissions on new production method for sweetener

Cargill, Incorporated (Cargill) is seeking approval from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to permit a novel production method for a mixture of sweeteners, Rebaudiosides M and D (Reb MD), in the Food Standards Code.

FSANZ CEO Mark Booth said the rebaudiosides are steviol glycosides, sweeteners extracted from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plant.

Currently, permissions for steviol glycosides allow for products extracted from the plant only, while Cargill uses a microbial fermentation production method for its Reb MD.

“The applicant is seeking approval to include a new specification for Reb MD produced from microbial fermentation, rather than from the plant,” Booth said.

Reb MD will be used as an intense sweetener as an alternative to parent steviol glycosides, offering an improved sensory profile and a better sweetness quality, Cargill said.

Steviol glycosides, including Reb MD, are already permitted for use as a food additive, and Booth said FSANZ’s risk assessment found no health and safety concerns with this new production method.

FSANZ is seeking submissions on a draft variation to the code to permit Cargill’s Reb MD as a food additive. Submissions close at 6 pm on 10 May 2019 (Canberra time).

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