tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379336186397221603.post8890283926098363690..comments2024-03-28T03:36:33.414-07:00Comments on Keep Moving Forward: Let the Change Come! Part 1: SteviaDaniellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14633562290378473694noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5379336186397221603.post-84290377228123714532006-09-06T17:44:08.000-07:002006-09-06T17:44:08.000-07:00I'm happy to see your interest in stevia. It&#...I'm happy to see your interest in stevia. It's really a great alternative to sugar. As it turns out, there is a very good reason why stevia has not been approved for use in the United States. And it does not involve conspiracy on the part of the sugar or sweetener lobby. Nor is it because the herb is unsafe. The reason is purely economic. The large scale testing required by FDA is expensive. No private company to-date has been willing to invest the large sums of money for the tests when every other company can immediately begin selling the product--as a natural herb the product cannot be patented. However, there is a very good chance that testing will be completed in the next couple of years. The U.S. Agency of International Development (USAID) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) are rumored to considering funding the tests in order to stimulate the agricultural economies of Latin American nations. Stay tuned, we'll be covering all news related to Stevia on our non-commercial Web site, <a href="http://www.steviainfo.com" rel="nofollow">SteviaInfo.com</a>Ryan Petersenhttp://www.steviainfo.comnoreply@blogger.com