"Ali" wrote:
:) I love chewing on a couple leaves from my plant daily.
That is so cool. The only way I've ever had stevia is bought from
the health food store in a bottle, so it must be a concentrate,
perhaps that's why it's so sweet to me. How wonderful to have it
fresh, I don't think I've ever even seen a stevia plant before. I
use alot of it at home for my family, in place of sugar and really
you don't see it any other way here in the states, apparently it can
only be sold as a "dietary suppliment" as described below. I did
find this wonderful web-site if anyone else is interested in more
information:
http://www.stevia.net/
Here is a quick chapter from this web-site.
The subject of searches and seizures, trade complaints and embargoes
on importation, stevia has been handled at times by the FDA as if it
were an illegal drug.
Since the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act
(DSHEA), stevia can be sold legally in the United States, but only
as a "dietary supplement." Even so, it can be found in many forms
in most health-food stores, and is also incorporated into drinks,
teas and other items (all labeled as "dietary supplements"). It
cannot, however, be called a "sweetener" or even referred to
as "sweet." To do so would render the product "adulterated,"
according to the FDA, and make it again subject to seizure.
For growing tips see this page
http://www.stevia.net/growingstevia.htm
"True, home-grown stevia may lack the potency of refined white
stevia extract; whole stevioside content generally ranges from 81 to
91 percent, as compared to a leaf level of approximately 12
percent. But it can provide you with a quantity of freshly
harvested stevia 'tea leaves' to augment your supply of commercial
stevia sweeteners."
Thought I'd just add this in since this seems to be a hot topic now.
Kris
|
