by Thom King – Founder, Chief Innovation Officer, Food Scientist, Icon Foods

1.) Safety, metabolism, and regulatory status

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

   GRAS Notices for steviol glycosides (including Reb M)

    ○ Example: GRN 765, 829, 924 (various Reb M sources including fermentation-derived)

    ○ Key takeaway:

Steviol glycosides are Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for use as sweeteners

    ○ FDA confirms:

        ▪ Same metabolic fate regardless of production method

        ▪ Safety based on steviol equivalence

• European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

   Scientific Opinion on Steviol Glycosides (E 960)

    ○ EFSA Journal (2010; updated opinions since)

    ○ Key conclusions:

        ▪ Steviol glycosides are hydrolyzed to steviol by gut microbiota

        ▪ Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI): 4 mg/kg bw/day (as steviol equivalents)

• Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)

    ○ Established global safety framework for steviol glycosides

    ○ Same ADI: 0–4 mg/kg bw/day (as steviol equivalents)

    ○ Applies to all glycosides, including Reb M

2.) Metabolism (this is your “body understands glycosides” proof)

• Koyama et al., 2003

   Metabolism of steviol glycosides in humans and rats

    ○ Steviol glycosides:

        ▪ Not absorbed in upper GI

        ▪ Converted by gut microbiota → steviol

        ▪ Conjugated in liver → excreted

• Nikiforov & Eapen, 2008

   Metabolism and pharmacokinetics of steviol glycosides

    ○ Confirms:

        ▪ No glycemic impact

        ▪ No insulin response

        ▪ Shared metabolic endpoint across all steviol glycosides

3.) “Natural vs artificial” (regulatory framing)

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration definition guidance

    ○ “Artificial” = synthetic substance not found in nature

    ○ Steviol glycosides:

        ▪ Derived from plant source

        ▪ Even when produced via fermentation, chemically identical to natural counterpart

• International Food Information Council (IFIC)

    ○ Clarifies:

        ▪ Stevia = plant-derived high-intensity sweetener

        ▪ Distinct from artificial sweeteners like:

            • Aspartame

            • Sucralose

4.) Fermentation-derived Reb M (the hot topic)

• Prakash et al., 2014–2020 (multiple publications)

    ○ Demonstrates:

        ▪ Enzymatic and fermentation production of Reb M

        ▪ Final molecule is structurally identical to leaf-derived Reb M

• Codex Alimentarius Commission

    ○ Recognizes steviol glycosides broadly, including advanced production methods

    ○ Focus is on molecular identity and safety, not production pathway

Clean scientific position (what you can confidently say)

Rebaudioside M is a steviol glycoside naturally occurring in Stevia rebaudiana. Regardless of whether it is extracted from the leaf, enzymatically converted, or produced via fermentation, the resulting molecule is chemically identical and follows the same metabolic pathway, being converted to steviol by gut microbiota and excreted. As such, it is not an artificial sweetener but a natural-origin compound produced at commercial scale through modern processing technologies.

Use this framing:

• Molecule → natural

• Production method → industrial/biotech

• Metabolic fate → identical

• Regulatory classification → non-artificial

Bottom line

Organic Reb M Stevia Leaf Extract is:

• A natural molecule

• Produced using modern tools to overcome supply constraints

• Processed by the body using normal glycoside metabolism pathways

• Scientifically and regulatorily distinct from artificial sweeteners