SweeGen’s Reb B stevia ingredient receives GRAS no objection letter from FDA

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Bestevia Rebaudioside B from SweeGen (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) received a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) no objection letter from FDA. Because Reb B is found in only trace amounts in stevia leaf, SweeGen uses its proprietary bioconversion technology, joining the firm’s expansive stevia portfolio, including the highly sought-after Reb D, E, I, and M.

“This GRAS status is a great milestone for food and beverage manufacturers because Bestevia Reb B expands the toolkit for tackling the hurdles of reducing sugar in products, especially in beverages,” said Hadi Omrani, SweeGen's director of technical and regulatory affairs, in a press release.

“With a design-thinking approach for using consumer-preferred ingredients, coupled with Reb B’s characteristics and flexibility, such as good solubility and zero calories, we are very excited about collaborating with brands on functional beverages with unique flavors and nutritional ingredients,” said Casey McCormick, director of product development.